


Pearls

by EmpressCactuar



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Character Death, Drowning, Eventual Happy Ending, Explicit Sexual Content, Family Feels, Fluff, M/M, Reiner and Gabi are half-siblings, Sibling Love, mermaid au, merman!Bertholdt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:27:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 40,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24320560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmpressCactuar/pseuds/EmpressCactuar
Summary: His fins were unlike anything he’d ever seen before, and his skin and scales were magnificent red and shiny white. Reiner would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about the merman.(Reibert merman!au for MerMay)
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Comments: 21
Kudos: 97
Collections: Favoritos





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something for mermay but this wound up being a lot longer than I intended. I'm posting this in chapters because I feel like it'd be easier to read that way than as a like 25k oneshot. ^^; I'm probably about halfway-ish done with this fic
> 
> Reiner and Gabi are half-siblings, with a nine-year difference between them.  
> Bertholdt is a red/white lionfish mermaid, the marks on his face are supposed to be his titan markings :3

“Be careful, little ones, and always mind your manners. If you don’t, and your heart turns wicked, the sirens will come for you. Beautiful monsters whose victims disappear without a trace. Voices of angels betray the monsters they are, leading wicked ones away. Live a life of virtue, little ones. For surely, if you do not, you’ll be lured away with a siren’s song, never to be seen again.” 

The fire crackled in the still night air, the old man’s voice clear while he recounted the local legend. Reiner glanced over at a couple of the other children listening to Armin’s grandfather. How scary… monsters that take you away forever if you aren’t good? Armin and Marco looked scared, their eyes darting nervously between the fire and Armin’s grandfather. Reiner couldn’t help but gulp nervously. “What do they look like?” Armin asked, fear in his voice. Eren protectively put a hand on Armin’s shoulder, but he couldn’t hide the fear in his own eyes. Armin’s grandfather glanced at his grandson and reached over, ruffling his hair. 

“The sirens are creatures that live in the sea. They’re half-human, half-fish. Supposedly they have razor teeth and claws, but almost nobody who encounters a siren comes back from the encounter. Everyone that has come back remembers only a little bit, washed ashore and disoriented.” 

“That’s what happened to daddy a long time ago!” Eren piped up, the other children turning to look at him. “Daddy got washed up on shore and said he saw a fish-person. But he can’t remember what it looked like, or where he came from before he saw it…” 

“Really?” Sasha asked excitedly. Reiner shrunk away and held his legs to his chest. The mental image of a fish crawling out of the water and dragging him away scared him to death. Razor teeth and claws? Would they chew him up until he was just bones? Would the sirens kill him and take him away, never to be seen again? He didn’t want to be taken away from his mommy. 

The old man noticed a couple of the scared children and laughed to himself, then shook his head. “There, there, kids… sirens are exceedingly rare. If you live a good life and mind your elders, you’ll be just fine. If your fathers need help fishing, or your mothers need help weaving, help them. You’re our future, after all. Learn from them.” 

Reiner nodded and stared into the fire. He always helped his mommy when she needed it. He wasn’t the best in the world at fishing, but he tried. Maybe if he gathered some coconuts and brought them back to his mommy, she’d be happy. And if he makes his mommy happy and minds his elders, maybe the sirens wouldn’t take them away. 

Eren was proudly standing and bragging about how if any siren dared hurt his friends, he’d hunt the siren down and make sure he kept the island safe. Mikasa was sitting next to him, nodding along silently. Armin smiled at Eren’s bold declaration, but Jean only rolled his eyes and said he was trying to get dragged out to sea one day. 

Reiner wanted to keep his family safe, but he wasn’t sure that trying to take on a monster like a siren would be the best way to do it. Instead, the best he could do would be to take care of his mommy. Especially now that she was pregnant and it was getting harder for her to do everything. 

Reiner didn’t sleep well that night, and crawled into bed with his mommy when he made his way home. 

“Mommy?” Reiner trotted behind his mother in their small home. Her large belly made it difficult for Reiner to cling to her the way he always had, but instead she gently ran a hand through his blonde hair. He’d tossed around all night when he’d gotten into bed with her, and she truthfully hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep. “What happened to Gabi’s daddy?” 

Reiner looked at his mommy’s face and saw it darken for a moment before she shook her head just a little bit and sat down. She motioned for Reiner to sit on the floor of while she sat in her chair. He crossed his legs and prepared to start weaving the palm tree leaves that he’d gathered. His mommy had started teaching him recently, since she’d gotten pregnant and spent more time at home. 

“Gabi’s daddy was taken away by a siren. He did something really bad.” Reiner was too young to understand that the man she’d been seeing got her pregnant and immediately tried to sail away from Paradis to another island. Maybe when he was older. But for now… 

“Siren? They… they aren’t going to come get me, are they?” Reiner stuttered a little when he spoke. His mother glanced down at him and raised a brow; Reiner’s hands were shaking while he held the palm leaves. He’d heard those old stories, right? 

“Reiner… what did you do?” His mother asked, her voice making him look up at her. The stories always said that bad people were taken away. Why would Reiner be afraid if he hadn’t done anything? “Tell the truth.” 

“I didn’t do anything, mommy.” Nothing anyone knew about, anyways. “But Armin’s grandpa told us about the sirens again last night and said they have sharp teeth and claws. I’m afraid…” Would a siren cut him up if one came and took him away? Would they eat his mommy and Gabi? 

“Reiner, you’re going to be fine. You’re a good boy, sirens won’t come for you. If any of you kids should be worried, it should be that Sasha girl. Always stealing food. What a little glutton.” His mom sounded a little frustrated, but quickly moved on. “Carla and her kids gathered a lot of extra jute and gave me some extra. I’ll show you how to weave a simple basket later, okay?” 

Reiner hummed and worked on weaving the palm leaves into a simple mat. “I’m going to go fishing later, mommy. I’m going to the little cove so I can be alone.” Fishing required a lot of focus and if the other kids were there, he wouldn’t catch a thing. His mommy usually traded stuff she made with Sasha’s dad for fish, but something he caught would be more special. 

He had his simple fishing pole in his hand whenever he made his way to the quiet cove. Reiner made himself comfortable and got his bait attached to the end of the hook. Reiner tossed the hook and lure into the water, watching his bait while his mind wandered. The water felt nice on his feet, Reiner wiggling his toes between the wet sand. 

…Oh! A bite! Reiner felt the pressure on his rod, him frowning whenever tried to pull in the fish. His eyes widened and he stopped pulling as hard, him worried about snapping his fishing rod. Reiner couldn’t help but let go of his pole completely whenever something poked out of the water and let out a pained shriek. A gasp came from him, Reiner quickly running to the water. 

There was some blood in the water, and Reiner found his fishing rod moving around. There was blood coming from a large fish, and among the splashing water and thrashing he could see white and red scales and arms. The voice screaming definitely sounded like a kid. 

“Hey! Stop!” Reiner tried a couple of times to calm down the kid, but he failed to do so. After a moment he became frustrated, finally managing to grab an arm with a firm grip. Reiner grunted and dragged the kid out of the water and onto the shore of the cove. Once they were away from the water, Reiner glanced at the kid and recoiled in shock. 

His torso looked human, but where were his legs? He had fins, like a fish? And none of his skin was of a normal human skin tone… He was mostly red from his belly down, with white stripes, but his upper body was mostly white with red stripes and splotches. There were some red markings on his face, not framed by ears but fin-like protrusions. 

“S-siren…?” Reiner mumbled to himself, finding himself terrified all of a sudden. Was this a trick to lure him away so this siren could eat him? Reiner swallowed and looked at the blood dripping into the sand. 

The boy was definitely crying in pain, Reiner cringing when he saw his fish hook embedded in one of the boy’s hands. That was definitely where the blood was coming from. It looked like it had been jerked on after it had been embedded, Reiner feeling a pang of guilt. The boy’s other hand went to wipe at his eyes, him holding out his injured hand away from his body. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Reiner ran over to the siren. He felt terrible, and he couldn’t let an innocent creature suffer like this. Even if he was a siren, this siren hadn’t done anything to him. But this siren was obviously suffering. He grabbed the siren’s arm and held it firmly, looking at the hook in his hand. “I’m so sorry! Give me just a second!” 

“Get it out! Get it out!” The siren cried, him hiccuping while he spoke. Reiner gave a brief thought to the fact that it spoke to him, but instead he grabbed some of his fishing line. He quickly made his way back over to the siren and tied a loop around the hook. The siren started yelping in pain and tried to jerk its arm away whenever Reiner started to ease the hook out. Reiner frowned and clamped the siren’s arm against his body, then yanked out the hook once he was able to. 

“I’m so, so sorry! It’s out now…” Reiner trailed off and looked at the siren’s injured hand. His fingers were twitching, but the siren’s crying calmed a little in spite of the twitches. Reiner frowned at the blood and the laceration on the siren’s hand. He wasn’t sure how to fix this, but he couldn’t just drag a siren to Dr. Jaeger’s house to get fixed. 

The siren shook his head and sniffled again, then brought his palm to his face. Tears dripped onto his hand, Reiner’s eyes widening and his mouth falling open when he saw the wound start to heal. The skin seemed to stitch itself back together, a scar forming on his hand where the injury had been. After a moment the siren calmed down and shook his head, wiping at his face with his hands. 

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Reiner said, looking at the creature’s hand. How did the siren do that? Now that he’d stopped thrashing, Reiner got a better look at the siren. He had red splotches on his chin, cheeks and temples. The fins where his ears should have been were red, but the fins coming out of his back, arms and tail had red and white both. 

Another sniffle, followed by the siren shaking his head. He wiped at his eyes and looked at Reiner. “It’s okay… you didn’t mean to hurt me. If you did you wouldn’t apologize.” Green-ish gray eyes slid shut, Reiner scanning the creature’s body. On his ribs… were those gills? 

“Are you a siren?” Reiner asked bluntly. Why would he do that?! Like a bloodthirsty monster would just admit it! For a siren that was supposed to drag him away and eat him, this boy didn’t seem very threatening. The boy opened his eyes and gave Reiner a look, then looked down at his own body. He looked back at Reiner and shook his head, a look of confusion on his face. 

“No… I’m a merman? Don’t you know what a merman is?” Reiner frowned and shook his head just a little, the merman picking up on Reiner’s anxiety. “What’s a siren supposed to be?” The merman grabbed a handful of sand and let it fall through his fingers. Reiner relaxed a little, not feeling that the creature in front of him was a threat. 

“No. But sirens are supposed to be half-human, half-fish creatures that steal away bad people, never to be seen again. They have razor teeth and claws and eat kids like me…” 

“Huh. I don’t know anyone who’s kidnapped people. But merfolk don’t eat people, we eat fish. And human food. Hey, my name is Bertholdt, by the way. I scared away all the fish when I got caught on your hook…” 

“Oh. My name is Reiner. I wanted to catch a fish for my mommy to make, but I guess they’re gone.” Reiner saw his fishing rod tossed aside in the sand and felt fleeting disappointment. A small crab skittered from next to his rod to the edge of the water. Bertholdt yawned, Reiner noticing a few razor teeth in his mouth. Bertholdt noticed Reiner staring at him. 

“You act like you’ve never seen a merfolk before.” Bertholdt said plainly, smiling a little when Reiner flushed and shook his head. “Really? You’ve never seen a mermaid either? Am I the first one you’ve seen?” Bertholdt frowned and cocked his head. “That’s so weird. Where I’m from, merfolk and humans live together. Lots of human houses are built into the water.” 

“Really? You’re from another island? We aren’t supposed to leave this island. Nobody who does ever comes back, because the ships always crash and everyone who tries winds up dying.” Bertholdt frowned and shrugged his shoulders, then laid back into the sand. 

“My home is called Marley. It’s another island not too far away from here. But nobody from Marley ever comes to this island. I’m… actually here on a dare. My friends, two other merfolk, dared me to come to this island because there are supposed to be evil, man-eating giants here.” Reiner couldn’t help but laugh and that, watching the sun start to set on the horizon. 

“This island is called Paradis. But there aren’t any man-eating giants.” Bertholdt’s tail started swaying back and forth in the sand, Reiner looking closely at his body. He was pretty. His scales were so shiny in the setting sun. There were so many things Reiner wanted to ask about him. Who was he? Where did he come from? What did he like to do? But the sun was going down, and his mommy would need him home soon. 

“I like this island. It’s pretty.” Bertholdt thought to himself, relishing the feeling of the warm sand on his tail. It was so soft, he wanted to just be buried in the warmth. Reiner smiled and stood up, Bertholdt glancing at him. 

“Hey, it was really nice meeting you, Bertholdt. But my mommy is going to be waiting for me at home, so I have to go.” Bertholdt looked a little disappointed, like he had wanted to just sit and chat. But he took a hand and grabbed Reiner’s arm before Reiner had a chance to leave. 

“Oh. Let me give you something for helping me out, Reiner.” Bertholdt said, him using his arms to crawl to the water. Once he was in, he quickly submerged himself. Reiner watched the spot where Bertholdt disappeared under the water, and after a minute he couldn’t help but wonder if Bertholdt was going to come back. Bertholdt’s torso came up out of the water, him gesturing for Reiner to approach him. He stuck out his hand and gave Reiner a pearl. 

“A pearl?” Reiner asked incredulously, looking at the pretty cream sphere. 

“I found a bunch of oysters on the way here and grabbed a couple of pearls. I’d dropped them when your hook got my hand, but I just had to go grab them from underwater. Think of it as a thank you for helping me.” 

Reiner smiled and admired the pearl, then put it in his pocket. “I will. Thank you, Bertholdt. Be careful going home.” Bertholdt laughed and nodded, then turned and started swimming away. He went underwater after a moment, Reiner looking at the pearl as though to make sure the encounter really happened. 

He was going home empty-handed again. Reiner shook his head and made his way home after picking up his fishing rod. 

…Oh? The lure was gone. Did Bertholdt steal it or did it just get lost? He’d liked it, too. Reiner rolled his eyes in frustration, him putting his rod away before going into his home. His mommy was sitting in her chair, rubbing her belly. 

“Hello, dear. Did you catch anything?” Reiner’s expression fell when he shook his head, but he perked up and pulled the pearl out of his pocket. He went over to his mother and showed her the pearl, her smiling at it before handing it back to him. “That’s a very pretty pearl, sweetheart. Be sure to keep it somewhere safe, okay?” 

“Yeah.” Reiner put his pearl in with his other belongings and went back to his mother, sitting next to her. He leaned over and closed his eyes, relaxing while he listened to the sound of their food boiling over the small fire. His eyes couldn’t help but slide open whenever he felt his mommy’s tummy moving around. “How much longer until Gabi is born, mommy?” 

“Soon, Reiner. Probably sometime next week or the week after. Dr. Jaeger will be here to check on me and ease everything along. Then you’ll get to meet your sister.” Reiner nodded and moved so he was leaning on his mom. 

“You’re sure the baby is a girl?” Gentle fingers ran through his hair, his mommy pulling him into a warm hug. 

“I’m carrying high so I’m pretty sure she’ll be a girl. But we won’t know for sure until the baby is actually born.” Reiner nodded and closed his eyes, finding comfort in his mommy holding him. Gabi poked and prodded again, Reiner noticing his mommy looking uncomfortable. “She’s going to be a handful. I can tell.” 

Reiner hummed and went to get the food when it was done cooking. He couldn’t help but hope that his mommy would be wrong and that he was getting a little brother. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiner was silent and closed his eyes, leaning into the body that held him. The freezing feeling in his core started to dissipate, Reiner feeling light-headed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I wrote this as a one-shot it's a little challenging to decide where chapters should begin and end

“Come back soon, Reiner!” Gabi chirped happily, Reiner squatting on his knees so he could kiss the top of his sister’s head. Gabi gave him an adorable smile, one of her front teeth missing. Reiner wanted to just give her a hug. He wasn’t sure any kid had ever been cuter. 

“I got some hog from the Mr. Bodt today, so be sure to come home for supper.” Reiner nodded at his mother and stood back up, Gabi clinging to his leg. Reiner reached a hand down and tousled her hair, getting an affectionate laugh in return. “Have fun with your friends, Reiner.” 

“Will do, mom. Gabi, be sure to listen to mom, okay?” His sister nodded at him and went back to running around the house. She was waiting for her little friend Louise to come over so the two of them could play. She was seven now, him sixteen. Reiner wasn’t sure there was anything he loved more than his little sister. 

Reiner made his way to the small docks on the edge of the village. Paradis wasn’t particularly large, and travel off the island was unheard of. But a few boats were still used for fisherman to utilize, each boat containing a net to use to fish with. Eren was sitting on the end of the dock, Reiner going to the end and sitting beside him. 

“Reiner. I have a question.” Reiner turned to look at his friend and raised a brow, prodding for Eren to continue. “Do you ever wonder what’s out there? Beyond this island? My dad is supposed to be from another land and can’t remember. Nobody who leaves here ever returns, and the storms that plague the island keep it too dangerous to try…” 

Reiner thought back to a time just before his sister was born when he’d encountered the merman Bertholdt. Just a child, as he had been. What ever became of him? But Bertholdt had spoken of a land, not that far away, supposedly, where his kind and humans lived together. What was Marley like? Reiner had never told anyone about his encounter with the merman. 

He’d be labelled crazy. Or worse, people might even think he had a wicked soul for coming into contact with a siren. And neither he nor his family needed a stigma like that. He’d tell Gabi when she was older, but if he did so now, she wouldn’t be able to keep a secret. 

“I have.” Marley. Was it real? He still had his pearl at home. So he really had encountered Bertholdt all those years ago, and what reason would Bertholdt have to lie? A land where humans and merfolk lived together. Reiner wanted to see it. “The world has to be bigger than Paradis. There has to be more out there.” 

Bertholdt had been so pretty that night. His fins were unlike anything he’d ever seen before, and his skin and scales were magnificent red and shiny white. Reiner would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about the merman. 

“Yeah! That’s what I was telling Armin. Reiner… don’t you want to just try and leave sometimes? Why don’t we just sail away right now?” Eren asked excitedly. Reiner gave Eren a coy smile. Eren was younger, more immature than he was. Had his head in the clouds. Reiner shook his head and scooted forward, dipping his feet down into the cool water. 

“I can’t do that, Eren. I can’t leave my little sister and my mom. And what about your family? Your mom and dad and Mikasa. They’d miss you.” Eren rolled his eyes and leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head and looking at the sky. Birds flew overhead, Eren wishing he could fly away with them. 

“It’s not like we wouldn’t ever come back.” Eren grumbled. Reiner hummed an acknowledgement of the statement. 

“Nobody that’s left here has ever come back.” Reiner countered. Eren sat up and looked at Reiner. His expression was one part cocky, one part determined. 

“Yeah, but we’re different. You and I together could do it. You’re smart and strong. I’ve got drive. We could do it. I could probably get Armin to join us, and you know how smart he is.” Reiner hummed again and kicked his feet back and forth in the water. 

“If you and Armin are able to leave and come back safely, maybe I’ll go with you. But Gabi and my mom are too important to me. So I’m staying put here for now. I’ll do whatever is best for them.” Eren was silent for a moment, then laughed. 

“You really are a big old softie, Reiner. You and your sister.” Eren glanced at the boat next to them on the dock and stood up. “You want to do a little fishing, then? Mom said that we might need to get more soon, and I’m sure your mom wouldn’t mind having a little more.” 

“That’s fine with me. Gabi has been eating a lot lately. She’s so full of energy, plus she’s growing like a little weed.” Reiner put his shoes back on and stretched out, then glanced up at the sky. There were clouds gathering off on the horizon; it could rain pretty hard later. “Let’s not stay out too long. It looks like it might storm later, and Gabi is afraid of storms. I’ll need to be home for her.” 

“You’re babying her way too much, Reiner. Were you afraid of storms when you were her age?” Eren asked, the two of them working to get the boat ready. 

“Yes.” Reiner said bluntly. Eren looked at Reiner in surprise. He remembered Reiner being quieter when they were younger, but not afraid of anything. Eren shrugged and went back to preparing the boat, the two of them setting out whenever they were ready. Reiner felt a little bit of anxiety whenever Eren guided them out a little farther than he’d wanted to go; he’d been distracted getting the net he wanted to use ready. 

“There! We’re all set!” Eren said, satisfaction in his voice. Reiner glanced up at the sky. The clouds were moving in, but the sea was as calm as it’d been whenever they’d set out. “Reiner, you got that net ready?” 

“Yeah…” Reiner cast the net out, the weights making the net sink into the water. He watched the sky carefully, frowning at the sight. The wind was starting to pick up, and the sky was darkening. “Eren, we should just haul back this net and leave. I’m getting nervous looking at the sky.” 

“Geez, Reiner, it’s not like you’ve never been rained on before. But if it’ll make you feel better, let’s head back.” Eren helped Reiner haul the net back in, a decent amount of fish being caught in the net. It was just the two of them; they didn’t need a big haul anyways. His mom could make a hearty dinner with plenty of fish to use. “Damn… good thing you’re strong, Reiner. Those fish are heavy.” 

“Great, let’s go.” Reiner helped Eren set their boat back towards the island, but the waves were starting to get more turbulent as they went. The cold rain started pouring, Reiner finding himself feeling stressed at the rain, the waves, the fish wriggling in the net, and Eren’s attitude. Gabi was home without him there to hold her… “Fuck! Eren!” 

“We’ll be okay, Reiner, just-” Reiner turned around to look behind him, his eyes widening at the sight of a large wave that threatened to capsize their small boat. Reiner gasped in alarm, Eren doing the same when their boat was violently pushed in the direction away from the shore. “Shit! We need to get home!” 

Reiner was about to respond, but the boat was again pushed, both of them being knocked out into the water. Reiner found himself submerged, him desperately paddling his arms to get to the surface. He breathed in violently when he surfaced, but found himself pushed under again by the violent waves. In only a quick moment he lost sight of Eren, finding himself alone in the water. 

“Eren! Help me!” Reiner choked out when he was able to. He started panicking, trying desperately to stay above water so he could breathe. He had to get home. Gabi would be scared without him. Reiner couldn’t tell which direction led to the shore anymore, him looking around desperately for a sign of which way to go. He thought he saw something and tried to paddle in an appropriate direction, but was quickly forced underwater again. 

“I gotta go home, I told mom and Gabi I would be home soon…” Reiner thought to himself, finding it harder and harder to stay above water. He felt his body getting heavier while he tried to swim, his head bobbing above the surface a little less each time. 

Oh… he was sinking. Reiner reached a hand up weakly, darkness creeping into the edges of his vision. Gabi was up there, and so was his mom… he needed to get back home to them, he told them he would. 

Reiner closed his eyes and couldn’t open his eyes again. The thought of Gabi staring out the door waiting for him to come home crossed Reiner’s mind, and if he weren’t submerged he would’ve felt tears dripping out. 

“I’m sorry, Gabi…” 

  


It was so cold. Reiner’s eyes slid open, his whole body shivering violently when he came to. Where was he? He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to take in his surroundings. …A cave? Is that where he was? 

“Hey, you’re awake. Don’t strain yourself.” Reiner didn’t recognize the voice that was talking to him. He wanted to look around, but he just curled up into a ball in an attempt to warm himself up with his own body heat. Reiner heard water splashing, then felt hands on him. Reiner felt his body being pulled into the water, but he was too weak to resist. “You almost died. I’m glad I was able to save you.” 

“Hn… I…” Reiner’s teeth chattered, but the water helped to warm him up a little. He opened his eyes and saw white skin with red splotches, and a head of black hair standing in stark contrast. Fins came out where the ears should have been. The man looked down at him. 

“Sssh. It’s okay. Just relax. Don’t strain yourself. You’re really weak right now.” The voice was low and soothing. Reiner found himself relaxing, the water becoming steadily warmer until it was pleasant and calming. “This should help. It’s a hot spring. It should warm you right up.” 

Reiner was silent and closed his eyes, leaning into the body that held him. The freezing feeling in his core started to dissipate, Reiner feeling light-headed. He found himself breathing deeply, gulping in air over and over again. He was so tired, and he wanted to go to sleep… 

“Gabi!” Reiner’s eyes slammed open, him trying to suddenly move and falling forward into the water. He felt disoriented, but was quickly plucked from the water by strong arms. 

“Woah! I told you not to overexert yourself…” The man holding him was gentle, taking Reiner and leaning his back against a rock ledge. Reiner felt like his head was spinning. The man in front of him watched him carefully. Reiner breathed in deeply, taking in the sight of the man who saved him. 

“…Siren…?” Reiner said slowly, then shook his own head. That’s right… sirens were just a story that adults told kids to make them behave. “Merman…” 

“Can I ask you something?” The merman asked, Reiner slowly opening his eyes back after they’d fallen again. He just wanted to sleep. But if he fell asleep in water he would just drown. Hadn’t he drowned before? Where was Eren? Wait… the merman wanted to ask him something. “Are you Reiner?” 

His eyes focused intensely, Reiner’s brows raising in surprise when realization set in. “Bertholdt…?” A chuckle came from the merman, confirming Reiner’s thought. 

“You were sinking like a rock. I saw you and swam as fast as I could, but this was the only place I knew to bring you to.” Bertholdt scratched his head and looked around. “Hey… I need to tell you something before you panic.” 

“Huh?” Reiner’s head was starting to feel a little clearer. It was dark in here, but there were underwater crystals keeping everything illuminated by their soft blue glow. Reiner adjusted a little and tried to relax. He was so thirsty. And hungry. How much time had passed? Where was he? Was Gabi okay? Was Eren okay? 

“Um, so, well, merfolk have special powers… and I had to use one to save you.” Bertholdt fidgeted nervously and brought his hands up in front of him. “Please don’t panic… but you have gills on your ribcage now.” 

“What?!” Reiner asked, bringing a hand down to his bare torso. Sure enough, he felt the slits on his ribcage, unable to resist feeling at them despite the thoughts racing through his mind. “Take them off! I can’t just go back home and explain why these are on my torso!” 

“I can’t take them off. When a merfolk blesses a human with gills, we can’t just take it away… it’s supposed to be a gift. Being able to survive underwater isn’t something people usually just want taken away.” Bertholdt spoke calmly in an attempt to prevent Reiner from panicking again. 

“What am I supposed to do? Everyone will freak out if they see me with these gills! People get so superstitious too. What if they think I’m a siren?” Reiner’s heart dropped at the thought. Gabi wouldn’t ever want to see him again if he were a siren. She’d be so afraid he would hurt her. 

“What about your clothes? Could you just wear a shirt all the time? And never let anyone see your torso?” Bertholdt suggested. Reiner was silent for a moment, then sighed. “I’m sorry, Reiner. It was the only way to save you.” 

“I guess I’ll have to. It shouldn’t be a problem most of the time. But I might get some strange looks. I’ll need to think of an excuse for when I should take it off but have to leave it on.” Reiner sighed and leaned back into the water. In spite of all his worries… the warm water made him feel better. “Hey… how’d you know about this cave anyways? Why are you here?” 

“Oh, you mean instead of in Marley?” Bertholdt asked, sighing himself when he submerged himself for a moment to get the warm water in his hair. “Marcel and Porco are courting some girls they’d met. You know, falling in love and all that stuff. So I haven’t been able to hang out with them as much. I remembered thinking this island was pretty so I’ve been coming back and exploring a little.” 

“Have you ever interacted with any of the humans here?” Reiner followed up. Bertholdt shook his head. “Do you come here a lot?” 

“Well, a little. I’ll come for a few days, maybe a week every couple of months. I’ve been here for a couple of days; I was going to go back to Marley soon but I want to make sure you’re okay before I go back.” 

“I appreciate it. You saved my life.” Reiner ran a hand along his face. He really did almost die, didn’t he? What would his mom think? What would Gabi think? Would his body have even been found? There were too many ‘what ifs’ drifting around in his head. It was beyond stressful to think about. 

“Who’s Gabi?” Bertholdt asked, swimming over to Reiner and sitting next to him. “You kept mumbling her name whenever I got you out of the water and after I was able to get water out of your lungs.” Bertholdt gave a sly smile to Reiner. “Is she someone special?” 

“What?! No!” Reiner said, horror creeping into his voice a little. Right… Bertholdt didn’t know anyone. All he knew was this unconscious man he saved kept mumbling the name. “Gabi is my little sister.” 

“Oh, okay.” A silence hung in the air, broken by Bertholdt’s voice. “You must love her an awful lot.” 

“I do. I love her so much. No matter how badly it hurt me, I would do anything for her.” Reiner laughed and leaned back into the water, submerging himself and wiping his eyes when he came back up. “You know, when she was born, I was disappointed she was a girl because I wanted a brother. But I fell in love with her before I knew it.” 

“That’s really sweet, Reiner.” Bertholdt said, getting comfortable. “Hey, I’ll be right back. Let me swim out and see what the weather looks like. I know you want to get home to her.” Reiner sat in silence while he watched Bertholdt swim away. He really had a beautiful body. The long tail and fins were much larger than when he encountered Bertholdt as a child, and the way they flowed in the water enamored him. A few minutes later Bertholdt returned, swimming up to Reiner. “It’s raining a little. But if you don’t mind, I can take you back to the shore. Or we can stay here. It’s up to you.” 

“I want to go home. I need to see Gabi, she needs to know I’m okay.” Reiner answered quickly. Bertholdt nodded and turned around, gesturing for Reiner to grab onto his back. Reiner did so, clinging to the merman while Bertholdt swam. It was quicker than he ever could’ve gone himself. 

“Reiner. I’m sorry about the gills. But… if you want, I can show you how to get used to them and use them. Being able to go underwater could be a lot of fun for you.” Bertholdt said, Reiner shivering a little against him. The warm water of the hot spring gradually got colder until they made it to the icy ocean. “I come to Paradis often enough.” 

“How would I know you’re here?” Reiner asked. If he was going to be forced to have gills he had to hide, he may as well learn how to use them. He was trying to look at the bright side, because hiding his torso for the rest of his life was going to be… quite a challenge, to say the least. Maybe one day Gabi and his mom could know. 

“Hmm. Oh, I know. Whenever I come to the island, I’ll put some rocks on the shore of the cove I met you at. It seems pretty abandoned most of the time. If I’m here I’ll meet you there at sunrise.” Reiner hummed at the suggestion. Yes, sunrise. That would be a good time. During the daytime, his mother would be working and Gabi would be playing with her friends. 

“That sounds nice.” Reiner was starting to warm up to the merman. Bertholdt had a kind personality, and had saved his life. At one point Reiner noticed the scar on Bertholdt’s hand and felt a pang of guilt, but Bertholdt didn’t seem to think anything of it at all. “I know you’ll save me if I mess up.” 

“You won’t. It’s easy. It’s just getting used to it that’s weird.” Bertholdt made his way to the cove they’d met at years ago, dropping Reiner off onto the shore. Reiner brought his hands to his arms and tried to keep himself at least a little bit warmer. “I wouldn’t personally know but there are lots of humans with gills in Marley.” 

“I guess I’ll see you later, Bertholdt.” Bertholdt smiled at Reiner and waved at him, a cheery look on his face. 

“I’ll be back in… maybe two or three weeks? Go spend time with your sister. I can tell you’ve been rattled. You say you like comforting her… but I think you need her right now. Have fun, Reiner.” At that, Bertholdt went back underwater, Reiner watching the end of his tail come out of the water for a second before disappearing again. 

Reiner sighed and turned around, headed back home. He didn’t even care that he was getting soaked in the rain; he was alive when he was sure he would die. Bertholdt saved him. And because Bertholdt saved him, he’d get to see his mother and Gabi again. 

Relief flooded through his body when he saw his small home. There was a fire burning inside, he could tell. He made his way as quickly as he could, entering the home without knocking. His mother and sister were sitting together, Gabi nuzzled into their mother; both of their faces were wet and red. 

“Reiner! You’re safe!” Gabi immediately hopped up and bolted to her brother, clinging to his leg. She cried against him, Reiner leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “I… I thought you weren’t going to come back! Don’t leave me, Reiner…” Gabi hiccupped against his leg and cried. 

“I’m sorry, Gabi… there was an accident when I was out with Eren. But I’m home now. Let me go change into something dry, okay?” Reiner quickly changed his clothes. He couldn’t just take off his shirt like he wanted, they’d see the gills on his ribs. He prodded at them a little self-consciously, then dropped his shirt to cover himself again. He went back to his family and quickly scooped up his sister, holding her against his chest. “Gabi. I’m sorry I made you worry.” 

Gabi balled up her fist and hit Reiner’s chest. He moved to sit next to his mother on the floor, rocking his sister in his arms while he did so. Gabi still sniffled and cried softly against Reiner’s chest while their mother leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder. 

“Eren washed ashore and made his way back to his family. He was panicking because you were missing. We were so scared, Reiner…” He closed his eyes and leaned his head to rest against his mom’s. 

“I’m so sorry. I was scared I wouldn’t make it home. But I’m here now.” Gabi’s crying subsided, but she still wouldn’t let go of Reiner. After a minute their mother prepared a serving of hog and a bowl of soup, offering them to Reiner. 

“Reiner. Warm up and eat. You need it.” Reiner accepted the food eagerly and ate, the food making him realize he had felt like he was starving before. But once he was done, Reiner felt ready to collapse. “You need rest, dear. I’ll let you sleep in tomorrow. As long as you need. Please, just rest and recover.” 

“I wanna sleep with Reiner tonight…” Gabi mumbled, crawling back into his lap once he was finished eating. Reiner smiled and let Gabi cling to him. 

“That’s okay. Come on, Gabi. Let’s go to sleep, okay?” Reiner said, picking up his sister and carrying her against him. He got into bed, adjusting so he was laying on his side. Gabi scooted closer to him, Reiner pulling her into a hug against him. 

“I love you, Reiner…” Gabi sniffled again, Reiner feeling a pang of guilt. She really had been worried about him. “You’ll be here in the morning?” 

“Yes. I promise, Gabi, I’ll be here in the morning.” He ran his fingers through her hair. He wasn’t sure how long they laid in silence before he heard the soft breathing coming from his sister. A tiny snore made Reiner smile, his heavy eyelids finally falling shut. 

He was safe, and Gabi was safe. Their mother would let them sleep in; hell, maybe she would too after worrying all night. Reiner was content to finally just collapse, knowing his family was okay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did Bertholdt give Reiner gills? ;)


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Some merfolk think humans are plain-looking, even ugly. Our tails can be shiny, colorful, and our patterns are colorful. Your skin is plain compared to ours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully going to get chapter four up maybe in two-ish days?

Gabi was more clingy than usual, but after a few days she found herself able to go back to playing with her friends. And their mother had relaxed as well, as much as a worried mother could. It had been an accident; it wasn’t like Reiner was in serious danger in the present. Reiner was relieved that things returned to normal quickly. 

Nobody asked about him always wearing a shirt. Maybe he noticed it more than everyone else. 

Reiner made his way to the cove and found that a few rocks had been placed onto the shore. He smiled and looked at the formation. Bertholdt must be back. He must be wherever it is he sleeps when he’s at Paradis. Well… did Bertholdt sleep? Did merfolk sleep? Surely they did. Staying awake all day every day sounded like torture, because nothing felt better than a good night’s sleep. 

He returned at sunrise the next morning, making sure to give Gabi a kiss on her forehead before he left his home. Sure enough, Bertholdt was on the cove watching a crab scuttle around. Bertholdt gave the crab a smile and poked the top of it, jerking his hand away and blushing when he saw Reiner approaching. 

“Reiner! I didn’t hear you coming.” Bertholdt watched the crab make its way to the water, then turned back to Reiner. Reiner crossed his arms and smiled at the sight. Bertholdt’s scales were shiny in the morning sun, drawing Reiner’s eyes. How pretty. The vibrant reds were stunning, but Bertholdt started to look nervous. “You’re staring at me… is something wrong?” 

“Oh, no. Your tail and fins are pretty is all.” Bertholdt blushed a little at the compliment, but then smiled sheepishly. Reiner sat on the sand next to Bertholdt and started playing with the loose, warm sand. “These gills are annoying. I can feel my shirt rubbing against them.” 

“All the humans with gills back in Marley say you get used to them. My friend Marcel gave gills to his girlfriend recently and she was complaining about them.” Bertholdt couldn’t help but look at Reiner. He was pretty handsome. Reiner was staring at his tail again. Bertholdt nibbled his lip; he needed to remember that on Paradis merfolk weren’t an everyday sight. 

“So merfolk can just give gills to people?” Bertholdt was silent for a moment, then nodded his head slowly. 

“Yeah. But we don’t much. A lot of merfolk go their whole lives and never give gills to any humans at all. We don’t just give them out freely.” Bertholdt motioned towards the water with his head, gesturing for Reiner to join him. It was a small struggle to crawl back into the water; Bertholdt didn’t usually want legs, but when he came onto land they just seemed so convenient. “You’ll want to take off your shirt. If you have it on, the water won’t pass through your gills much.” 

“Oh… okay.” Reiner took off his pants and shirt, leaving him in his undershorts to swim in. The gills… he didn’t care for the way they looked. But whenever they were submerged in the water, Reiner couldn’t help but admit it felt good. “Do my lungs breathe water now too?” 

“No! Don’t try and breathe underwater like that…” Bertholdt swam more quickly than Reiner did out into the water. “I don’t want you to drown. But when you breathe through your gills you won’t even want to use your lungs. I don’t use my lungs at all when I’m underwater even though I can.” 

It was weird, breathing without using his lungs. But sure enough, while he swam Reiner could feel water passing through his gills and he felt no desire to breathe through his mouth or nose. Bertholdt laughed and made fun of how slowly Reiner swam, but Reiner insisted it was cheating to compare them because he didn’t have fins. 

“You know what I like to do when I’m fooling around underwater?” Bertholdt asked after they’d surfaced. Reiner couldn’t talk underwater; his mouth was essentially useless since he couldn’t speak or breathe. Reiner raised his brows and moved to cling to Bertholdt’s back, since it was quicker to get around in the water that way. “I like diving and looking for pearls inside oysters. I eat them after I open them, so I'm not just killing them and leaving them. It’s easy to do when you’re a merfolk, but humans have a harder time.” 

“Well yeah, I can’t just go underwater and look for stray oysters.” Reiner’s voice had a hint of playfulness in it, like he was interested in the activity. Bertholdt smiled and closed his eyes, swimming towards the cave he stayed in on Paradis. “Pearls are rare and precious on our island.” 

“Merfolk have tons of pearls. There’s an underwater town I know of where a group of mermaids cultivate pearls. And they make long chains of pearls of all sorts of colors, and fashion them into jewelry. Bracelets and necklaces, or set into pendants and crowns.” Reiner’s mind wandered to mental images of fantastic pearl necklaces in all sorts of colors of the rainbow. How cute Gabi would be with something like that. 

“…Is there a way I might be able to get something like that? Maybe a pink pearl necklace?” Bertholdt hummed and closed his eyes at the question. Reiner was beyond doting. 

“Usually things like that are hard to come by for humans. But in Marley, merfolk and humans live together so sometimes humans have pearl jewelry. I could try and get something like that and bring it back sometime. But it’ll take time. They can be expensive.” Reiner sighed and relaxed at the feeling of the warm water on tired muscles when they made their way into Bertholdt’s cave. “Are you okay, Reiner?” 

“Hmm? Why wouldn’t I be?” Reiner asked, his voice quiet. He felt beyond relaxed, he was perfectly fine. 

“You stopped breathing.” Oh? Really? Reiner couldn’t say he’d noticed. Reiner shook his head and let Bertholdt help him sit down on shallow rock. He leaned back and let the warm water soak into his hair and cover his whole body. “You must’ve just let your gills breathe for you while I was swimming.” 

“I notice now… it sucks being aware of your own breathing.” Reiner complained, starting his breathing again. He opened his eyes and noticed Bertholdt staring at him with a smile on his face. “What’re you looking at there?” 

“Oh, just you.” Bertholdt swam over close to Reiner and stared at him. “You’re handsome for a human.” Reiner’s eyes went a little wide, him stuttering in response. Bertholdt shook his head but didn’t elaborate at all. 

“W-what do you mean for a human?” Reiner asked, looking down at his body. Pale skin, but darkened from time in the sun. Very handsome, if the other villagers were to be believed. He’d never felt particularly self-conscious about the way he looked. 

“Some merfolk think humans are plain-looking, even ugly. Our tails can be shiny, colorful, and our patterns are unique. Your skin is plain compared to ours.” Reiner found himself feeling self-conscious of his body, but then felt hands on his legs. “Your legs are neat. You can move so easily on land. Your skin is a nice color, and it’s soft. So much softer than my scales.” 

“…You’re making me blush, Bertholdt.” Reiner laughed just a little whenever Bertholdt pulled away and laid next to him. Reiner couldn’t help but turn over and reach over to touch Bertholdt’s fins, curious of them. They felt far more delicate than Reiner expected. Bertholdt made a small sound whenever Reiner prodded at his fins. 

Humans could be funny about merfolk sometimes, even in Marley. Reiner was just curious, so it was fine. 

“I’m a little more colorful than a lot of mermen. My friends Marcel and Porco are mostly gray. Their fins make them faster in water than me, though.” Reiner admired the flowing fins. They were… pretty. 

“Yours are pretty, though.” Reiner said softly. Bertholdt opened his eyes and turned to his side so he was looking at Reiner. 

“You think I’m pretty?” Reiner’s awkward silence and his eyes averting quickly were answer enough. They sat in silence for a moment until Bertholdt broke it. “I think you’re handsome.” Reiner was still silent, like he was trying to gather his thoughts. Bertholdt found himself nervous at his remark and tried to change the subject. “I had fun today, Reiner.” 

“I’ve had fun today too.” Reiner spoke deliberately. He breathed in heavily and relaxed. “I’d like to see you again, and spend more time with you. You can tell me more about merfolk. I want to know.” 

“I can do that, Reiner. I can stay here in Paradis for a few more days before I go back home again. And I can come back in a couple of weeks.” They sat for a little while longer, but eventually Reiner had to go back home. Bertholdt let Reiner grab onto his back, him swimming Reiner back to the shore. “I’ll be around here tomorrow.” 

“Okay. Be careful, Bertholdt. If someone else sees you they might mistake you for a siren.” Reiner put his shirt back on and got ready to go back home. 

“Will do, Reiner.” Bertholdt said, giving Reiner a nod. “I just stay in my cave whenever I’m not exploring the water around here. Don’t worry about me.” At that, Bertholdt plopped under the water, not surfacing again. Reiner watched the waves for a moment and turned to walk back to his home. 

  


“Wow, it’s pretty down there…” Reiner said once he and Bertholdt surfaced. It was a warm, sunny summer day. Gabi had gone off with Kaya and were playing on the docks, and their mother was working and making some jute baskets. Reiner took the opportunity to go back out with Bertholdt. Waiting weeks for him to come back made time seem to go by so slowly. 

“There aren’t many reefs around here. I’ve seen some fantastic coral reefs full of colorful fish, and it’s so beautiful the way the light filters into the water. The corals are breathtaking.” Bertholdt said, the two of them swimming slowly through the water. They were quite a distance from the shore, but if Reiner got tired Bertholdt could swim him back. 

Swimming was doing a number on him, it was exhausting! His muscles were growing a little from the effort, which was nice. But Bertholdt made it look so easy, and no matter how hard Reiner tried to swim Bertholdt effortlessly sped past him as though it were nothing. 

It was almost like he were competing with a fish. No fair. 

“I wish I could see them one day.” Reiner lamented. He leaned back and held some air in his lungs so he floated on the water, then stretched out his arms and legs. He closed his eyes but the sun still beat down on him. “I can’t leave the island.” 

“Why not?” Bertholdt asked bluntly. 

“Nobody can leave the island. Every time someone tries, their ships wreck and they die. Or at least they’re never seen again. I only know one person who came from another island and he doesn’t remember where he’s from.” 

“Really? You know, they say whenever boats try to come here, they crash. Nobody tries to sail here, partly because man-eating giants are supposed to be here and partly because ships go missing. But I’ve never had any problems just swimming here.” Bertholdt idly swam in circles around Reiner’s floating form. “I’ve never ridden in a boat before. Why would I?” 

“It’s just interesting to know why people from the outside don’t come here. Obviously we know they exist, because Dr. Jaeger came from somewhere else. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wondered why nobody came. I wonder why Dr. Jaeger lived?” Bertholdt hummed and slowed down whenever Reiner decided to stop floating, him moving to swim like he had been. 

“Maybe a merfolk saved him?” Bertholdt suggested. Reiner shrugged his shoulders and hummed. 

“Maybe. I’m not really close to Dr. Jaeger so I don’t know many of the details.” Reiner grabbed onto Bertholdt’s shoulders, then held on tight whenever Bertholdt dove under the water. 

It was hard at first to keep his eyes open underwater, but Reiner found it getting easier the more he and Bertholdt swam. The fish were swimming, and a turtle swam alongside them for a moment before moving on. Reiner wanted to reach out and touch it, but he had to cling tightly to Bertholdt. 

Bertholdt brought Reiner up to the surface after a few moments; Reiner still preferred breathing out of his lungs. Reiner breathed in heavily for a minute; the feeling of air in his lungs was better than breathing with his gills. Reiner rested his head on Bertholdt’s shoulder; Bertholdt felt his stomach start to flutter a little, but Reiner just kept his eyes closed and breathed. 

“Are there shipwrecks underwater around Paradis?” Bertholdt chuckled a little, then nodded his head. 

“Yes, there are. I’ve seen a couple of them. All the foodstuffs and the bodies of the passengers are gone. All of that stuff was eaten by animals in the sea. Especially starfish.” Bertholdt shuddered at his own words. Starfish hordes on dead sea animals… he hated seeing them. “But some of their stuff would still be underwater. Some merfolk love taking things out of the remains of sunken human boats.” 

“I was just wondering. I don’t really want to think about shipwrecks after what happened when I almost drowned.” Bertholdt hummed and felt his shoulders feel lighter when Reiner let go. “I was just wondering if I could find something in the ocean Gabi might like is all.” 

“What does she like?” Reiner laughed and swam alongside Bertholdt, the two of them deciding to head back towards Paradis. 

“She says her favorite thing in the world is me. But she really likes cute things. She likes the piglets that the Bodts raise. I wove a hat for her once that she likes to wear. And her friend gave her a seashell necklace she likes to wear.” 

“Gabi sounds adorable. I wish I could meet her.” Reiner smiled at the thought of Gabi splashing around in the water with Bertholdt. She would laugh and cling to him and maybe she would reach out and try to touch the turtle. Gabi would love the sight of colorful fish and sea animals. 

“Me too. Maybe someday when she’s a little older. She’s growing like a weed as it is.” Reiner’s muscles got tired after swimming for a while, so again he let Bertholdt carry him. Even in the vastness of the ocean, he felt secure clinging to the merman. Secure and absolutely at ease. 

“If I can think of something here in the ocean she might like, I’ll let you know.” Eventually they made their way to the small, abandoned cove they would meet up at. Bertholdt let go of Reiner, him making his way onto the shore. Reiner sat on his knees and faced Bertholdt. “I’m going back to Marley tomorrow. I’ll be back in a few weeks. But if you want to see me for a few minutes, I’ll stop by here in the morning. Same as always.” 

“I’ll see you in the morning, then.” Reiner smiled at Bertholdt and gave him a wave before he turned around to return to his home. As per usual, Gabi was tuckered out from a long day of running around and their mother was cooking. Reiner sat down and leaned back, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. 

He didn’t need to open his eyes to know what the familiar pressure was whenever Gabi moved to sit in his lap, her leaning into him. Reiner smiled and put an arm around her shoulder while they waited for dinner to be ready. 

  


Reiner arrive at the abandoned cove and saw Bertholdt sunbathing on the shore. His shiny scales glowed in the morning sun, and it took his breath away to see Bertholdt relaxing in the sand. Bertholdt was grabbing handfuls of sand and letting it run through his fingers while he rested. He glanced up and saw Reiner approaching, him staying relaxed in the meantime. 

“The sand is so soft and cozy. I could lay here all day and feel the sun on my fins.” Bertholdt’s voice was content and lazy. “I have a long swim ahead of me so I wanted to feel this warm sand.” Bertholdt moved into a sitting position and gestured for Reiner to sit next to him. “I’ll miss you while I’m gone.” 

“I’ll miss you too. I love spending time with you.” Reiner said, watching the waves ripple in the distance. How far away was Marley from here? Bertholdt made it sound like it’d take a while to get home. “Stay safe on your way home, okay?” 

“I’ll be just fine, Reiner. I’ve made the trip tons of times.” Bertholdt sat for a minute before he crawled into the water. “I thought of a gift from the ocean for Gabi. Give me just a second.” Bertholdt dipped under the water. Reiner walked to the water and took his shoes off, then rolled up his pant legs. The water felt nice on his feet. Bertholdt surfaced again quickly. 

“An oyster?” Reiner asked, looking at the shelled creature. It opened easily, him easily sliding his finger inside. Odd. “Is it dead?” Bertholdt nodded his head. 

“Yes. I opened it to see if there was a pearl in it. Don’t worry, I ate all the oysters I killed looking for a pearl. I was thinking you could put it somewhere in the shallow water for Gabi to find. I thought it’d be a fun thing for you two to do together.” Reiner smiled at the thoughtfulness. “I gathered some other oysters and put them in the water around here. I thought your family could eat them. I love eating oyster.” 

“We haven’t had oyster in a long time. I think mom will like that. I know I will.” Reiner walked to a spot where he could sit down without getting his pants wet. “Thank you, Bertholdt. I appreciate it.” 

“Hey, there’s something else I want to give you too before I have to leave.” Reiner raised his brows, watching Bertholdt crawl back onto the shore. He moved up to Reiner and put his hands on Reiner’s shoulders, then leaned forward and pecked Reiner’s lips. 

“Wha…?” Reiner blinked in surprise, but saw a relaxed smile on Bertholdt’s face. 

“I’ll see you in a couple of weeks, Reiner.” 

Reiner watched wide-eyed when Bertholdt moved to get back into the water, him giving a wave before going underwater and disappearing. He brought a hand to his lips and rubbed them for a second, then noticed his face was burning. 

…He kinda wanted Bertholdt to do it again. But now he was going to be gone for a couple of weeks again. How disappointing. 

Reiner glanced down at the oyster in his hand and fidgeted with it for a moment. He made his way into the shallow water and found a suitable place for Gabi to find it, then put it down. Gabi was still asleep when he left, so she should either still be snoozing or just waking up. 

A mess of unfixed, black bedhead greeted Reiner whenever he made his way back home. Gabi looked dead tired, but he could only laugh and tousle her hair more. 

“Stop it, you’ll mess it up…” Gabi spoke groggily. The smell of fried dough and eggs wafted through the air, and Reiner couldn’t help but go hover behind his mother. 

“Don’t pester your sister, Reiner.” His mother said distractedly. Reiner smirked and grabbed Gabi, putting her into a headlock and giving her a noogie. 

“Quit iiitt…” Gabi whined, their mother turning around and frowning at her son. Reiner let Gabi go and sat down, waiting for their food to be ready. They all ate together, Gabi’s expression still sour while she ate. 

She never was a morning person. 

“Hey, Gabi, do you want to go out with me today? We can play and go to the water together.” Reiner suggested, Gabi giving him a tired smile. She walked over to him and offered him her comb. 

“Maayyybeee… if you comb my hair for me?” Reiner raised a brow, her giving him a cheeky grin. He couldn’t help but smile and shake his head, taking it and gesturing for her to sit in his lap. 

“Your hair is getting long.” Reiner observed. He was very delicate, but Gabi still winced when he worked a few of the tangles in her hair. He reached a hand out and took the hair tie she had around her wrist, then put her hair into the low ponytail she’d kept it in recently. “There. Now you’re the prettiest girl on the island.” 

“I was the prettiest before! Now I’m just prettiest by even more.” Reiner chuckled and got up, the two of them bidding their mother farewell. “It’s nice out today.” 

“Yes, it is.” A warm, pleasant day. The gentle breeze blew his hair, and the water was cool on their feet when they made their way to the abandoned cove. Reiner quickly checked for the oyster while Gabi was distracted with stripping down to her underclothes. Reiner dropped his pants and took off his shirt, so he was in his undershorts and a simple white top to cover his gills. 

“You’re leaving your shirt on?” Gabi asked, cocking her head. Reiner shrugged his shoulders and gestured for Gabi to come into the water with him. She did, quickly grabbing onto his shoulders and clinging to him. Reiner swam out a little, Gabi moving to rest her head on his shoulder. 

“Aren’t you going to swim yourself, Gabi?” Reiner asked teasingly, Gabi shaking her head. He smiled and shook his head, her nuzzling into him. 

“Why? You’re better at it than me.” Reiner swam around with her on his back for a little while, the two of them eventually returning to the shore. They sat at the shore, Reiner helping Gabi to build a sandcastle with the wet sand. 

“Let’s look for seashells, Gabi.” Reiner said, pointing in the direction where he put the oyster that Bertholdt had given him. “You check over there, I’ll check over here.” Reiner went to retrieve the oysters that Bertholdt had given him, him taking a small satchel and gathering them up. There weren’t too many; enough for him to shuck and share with his mom and Gabi. 

“Reiner! I found an oyster!” Gabi chirped, running up to him and looking at the oysters he had. Her face fell for a second, looking at the oysters that Reiner had. “Oh…” 

“Hey, Gabi. I have a feeling your oyster is really special. Let’s take all these home and go eat them, hmm?” Gabi looked down at the oyster in her hands, then back at her brother. She nodded and trotted next to Reiner, the two of them making their way back home. 

“Mommy, I found an oyster! But Reiner found a bunch of them.” Reiner came in after his sister and followed after her, him gently putting down the oysters. He’d shuck them in a few minutes. Their mother looked at the small satchel. 

“Oh, this would be a nice dinner. I’ll make some extra food to go with it.” The oysters needed to be eaten quickly, before they went bad. Gabi had woken up late and they played and swam for some time; dinner would be soon enough. 

Reiner grabbed his knife and gestured for Gabi to give him her oyster. The oyster was already dead where Bertholdt checked it for the pearl, but he shucked it anyways. “Look, Gabi! Your oyster has a pearl in it!” Reiner took the pearl, a gray-ish black one, and handed it to her. Gabi went starry-eyed and looked at it, rolling it between her fingers. 

“My oyster had a pearl?” Gabi asked, looking at it carefully. “It’s so pretty…” Reiner smiled and reached down to run his fingers along the top of her head. 

“Let’s see if any of my oysters have pearls, Gabi.” Gabi sat next to Reiner while he shucked all the oysters, none of them having any pearls in them. “Darn. I guess I’m not as good at finding pearls as you are.” 

Gabi looked at Reiner and held out her hand, offering the pearl to Reiner. “You can have mine.” Reiner smiled at the gesture and shook his head, him closing her hand back into a fist. 

“That’s so sweet. But no. You keep your pearl. I’m just happy you got to find a pearl. It’s almost as pretty as you are.” Gabi nodded and looked at her pearl again. “Besides, I got to spend time with you. I'm already happy.” 

“Me too.” Gabi said, her watching him get the oysters ready to eat. 

“I love you, Gabi.” Reiner cleaned his hands and brought her in for a hug, him kissing her cheek. She’d be too old for so much physical affection soon. He needed his hugs and kisses while she would still let him give them to her. 

“I love you too.” Gabi said, moving to sit on his lap again as soon as she was able to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I love writing my stuff and I love knowing you guys like what I make <3


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know, this island is west of Marley. Sometimes I think about you whenever I watch the sun setting, because I know you’re out there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has smut. The helpful soul who beta read this suggested more development of their relationship before the smut, so that's why this chapter is longer than I planned. I hope I succeeded ^^

“Reiner! I made you a present!” Gabi said excitedly, running up to him when he opened up the door to their home. He’d caught some fish while he was out on the docks with Sasha earlier, and he made his way to their kitchen to begin cleaning them. Gabi followed him, but as far as he could tell she was empty-handed. Reiner took the fish and began gutting them. 

“What’d you make for me? I don’t see that you have anything.” Reiner asked, cocking a brow at Gabi. She made a grimacing face while Reiner cut open and gutted the fish. It was gross. And it made her sad. Poor fish. It definitely didn’t smell good at all, but Reiner made sure to have airflow to get the smell out. 

“Do the fish hurt when you do that?” Reiner looked at Gabi, then down to the fish, then back at his sister. Did she not notice they weren’t moving whenever he brought them in? Reiner shook his head and went back to removing the fish’s innards. 

“No, Gabi. I killed them earlier. I bonked them so they were unconscious then bled them out. Don’t worry about the fish hurting, okay?” Reiner finished gutting the fish he’d caught. Gabi hadn’t said much, instead focusing on watching Reiner cut up the fish. Reiner cut them into fillets and grabbed a pan. “Will you go out back and light a fire for me? I don’t want to make the house smell like fish frying inside.” 

“Oh, okay.” Gabi walked out. Reiner took the fish he’d prepared and grabbed some oil and the pan. Gabi came in and grabbed some plates, then trotted back outside. Reiner followed after her and waited for the fire to grow a little more, then began frying the fish. 

Bertholdt made a comment once implying he ate fish raw straight out of the water. Just caught them and crunched into them. Blegh. But Reiner was sure he’d probably die if he tried that himself. 

“What was it you said you made for me, Gabi? I think you got distracted by the fish.” Gabi’s made a squeak, then got up to go back inside their small home. Reiner watched the fish cook, then started to prepare a plate for Gabi. Gabi came back out with her hands behind her back and an excited expression on her face. “Your food is ready.” 

“Mommy is showing me how to sew!” Gabi said, her voice excited. Reiner smiled at that; he’d been about her age whenever their mom started showing him how to sew. He’d seen Gabi fooling around with thread and needles and scrap fabric the past few days. “So I made you something!” 

“What is it?” Gabi pulled a cobbled-together rag doll out from behind her back, then walked over and handed it to Reiner. He examined it in his hands. Gabi clearly had a little help from their mother. But not too much, because he could still tell from looking at it that the stitches were not expert. It had a cute smiley face and black hair. Truthfully, it looked a little bit like Gabi. “Oh, she’s adorable. Thank you.” 

“Do you love her?” Gabi asked, accepting the plate of fish when Reiner handed it to her. Reiner nodded and put the doll in his lap while he continued to cook. “I didn’t give her a name. I thought you could name her.” 

“I’ll love her forever and ever, okay? I think… I’ll name her Amalia.” Reiner admired the doll. It was cute. “That’s what mom wanted to name you before she decided on Gabi.” 

“Amalia is pretty. I like it. I’ll make her a friend later.” Gabi ate her fish and watched Reiner cook. “Will you show me how to catch and cook fish?” 

Reiner glanced at his sister, and thought back to her reaction to him gutting the fish earlier. “Well… let’s start with just catching them first, okay?” Reiner listened to the sound of the fish frying while Gabi ate her food and sat by the fire. Their mother would be home soon, she’d taken some things she’d made to sell at the village market. So he’d make her food last. “Maybe you and I can sew together later. I only learned a little from mom, so you can teach me.” 

“Really? I can teach you something?” Gabi’s eyes lit up. Reiner finished preparing his food and ate it while Gabi chattered about all the things she was going to show him. Once their mother’s food was done, they extinguished the fire and went back inside. Reiner tucked Amalia into his bed and went to sit with Gabi. She pulled out some fabric scraps, thread and needle, then started explaining things he already knew, and a few things he didn’t. 

  


The sun was going down now, but Reiner just wanted to go fishing and have a little alone time before he went home. He loved Gabi so much… but sometimes she could be pretty annoying. She was a kid, after all, and kids could be like that. And his mom had been griping at him for picking on her lately. Big brothers were supposed to pick on their little brothers and sisters! What did she expect? 

Reiner mindlessly got the fishing rod ready and watched his lure bob in the water. It was nice, just listening to the sound of the waves and the gulls squawking. A couple of crabs were on the shore skittering around, but one of them got washed into the water. 

His mind started wandering. Eren and Armin were getting really wound up about leaving the island, but Reiner had kept his lips sealed about Bertholdt and Marley. Talking about how big the world must be, all the different sights there must be. And if Bertholdt were to be believed, the world really was beautiful out there. What was it like? 

Not that Paradis wasn’t beautiful. But still… what was out there? Entire cities underwater, inhabited by merfolk… beautiful pearl jewelry in all colors imaginable. Merfolk of all different patterns and colors, with different bodies. Bertholdt had said that his friends Porco and Marcel had bodies more reminiscent of sharks and they could swim faster. 

Eren and Armin still believed in sirens. Actually, a lot of people did. Reiner knew them to be made up. But lately Eren and Armin and even _Sasha_ had started going on about how sirens were probably the reason nobody could leave the island. The legends said sirens can call forth storms now? Sirens make ships crash? Where were they getting this information from anyways? 

Oh well. Reiner watched his lure sway back and forth with the waves. He jumped in surprise when he saw the water splash suddenly, him seeing a familiar torso suddenly pop out of the water. Bertholdt seemed surprised whenever he saw Reiner sitting on the cove, him dropping the rock he was carrying into the water. “Reiner! I wasn’t expecting you.” Reiner laughed to himself. 

“I wasn’t expecting you either. You look beat.” Bertholdt scratched his head and nodded at that, then yawned and stretched out his arms. 

“Yeah. I’ve been swimming for hours. I always put the rocks here, then eat and rest in my cave.” Bertholdt tiredly watched a crab skitter back and forth, then pointed at it. “Reiner… hand me that crab.” 

“Huh? Okay.” Reiner mindlessly picked up the small crab and waded into the water, reaching out and handing it to Bertholdt. Bertholdt looked at it for a moment, then stuck it into his mouth and bit down. Reiner recoiled in shock. “Oh my god!” Reiner turned away and felt goosebumps up and down his body at the horrible sound. 

“Oh, come on, Reiner. It’s not that bad.” Bertholdt shook his head and finished his snack. He’d been starving and he wasn’t in the mood for foraging for oysters right now. But Reiner was still horrified at the sight. Bertholdt crawled onto the shore of the cove and tried to lean forward to peck Reiner’s cheek. He felt his heart hurt a little when Reiner pulled away. “Reiner…?” 

“Uh…” Reiner stuttered and looked at Bertholdt with a bizarre expression. 

Bertholdt ran a hand through his hair and looked down at the sand. “Do you not want me to kiss you? I did it before I left last time because I thought you liked me too. I thought it would be cute. The way you looked at me, I guess I thought…” 

“Crab…” Reiner got out, shaking his head. “You ate the crab… there’s probably still shell in your mouth… I just feel funny… your breath smells like it…” Bertholdt cocked his head. Had Reiner never seen someone just eat a crab before? Merfolk did that all the time, and… 

Well, shit. There he was again, surprised Reiner didn’t know about something perfectly ordinary for a merfolk, but out-of-the-ordinary for a human. Instead Bertholdt laughed a little and circled around Reiner, hugging him from behind. “I’m sorry. I forget sometimes that you aren’t used to merfolk. I’ll try to be more mindful.” Reiner relaxed after a minute, Bertholdt could tell from his stiff body relaxing. “I’ve missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you too. I come by the cove a few days after you leave hoping to see a sign you’re here even when I know you shouldn’t be. And when you aren’t here I like coming because it reminds me of you.” Bertholdt started to adjust, stretching his body out and moving to rest his head in Reiner’s lap, to no objection from his human. He closed his eyes and let the warmth of the sand soothe his tired fins. 

“You know, this island is west of Marley. Sometimes I think about you whenever I watch the sun setting, because I know you’re out there.” A hand moved to run through black hair. A tiny laugh came from Reiner while he stroked Bertholdt’s damp head. 

“So you’re from where the sun rises, then. I never thought about what direction Marley actually was from here. I just know that when you say goodbye to me you swim underwater where I can’t see you.” No response from Bertholdt. “…Bertholdt?” Reiner frowned and glanced down, seeing closed eyes and steady breathing. Reiner smiled and pet Bertholdt’s head. 

He must be exhausted from swimming a long way. Reiner couldn’t bear to wake him right now. Instead, he just let Bertholdt rest in his lap while he watched the waves. 

  


“Take the thread here, and just pass it through the eye of the needle…” Reiner explained, Bertholdt frowning in frustration while he tried to accomplish the delicate task. The frustrating thing was the thread just wouldn’t go through the eye. Reiner had made it look so easy! 

Reiner was sitting there with his needle threaded so easily! But he wouldn’t just do it for him, because Reiner said it’d be better to learn to do it on his own. Bertholdt stuck his tongue out while he tried to thread the needle. 

They were sitting together on another abandoned shore, one away from the village where they could be alone. The sun was hanging high in the sky, and the breeze was pleasant on both their bodies. Bertholdt put his thread and needle down for a moment while Reiner watched, a smile on his face. “Ugh! This is so hard!” Reiner only shook his head and put a hand on Bertholdt’s shoulder. 

“People that have been sewing for years sometimes say that’s the hardest part. My mom has me thread her needles for her sometimes.” Bertholdt went back to trying to thread his needle. His face lit up whenever he got the thread through the eye, him turning to look at Reiner with an excited expression. 

“I did it!” Bertholdt looked at the needle with satisfaction. He closed his eyes and put his needle down. “…Reiner?” Reiner raised his brows and glanced over at Bertholdt, waiting for the rest of the question. “Can we go sit in the grass over there? I feel like it would feel nice on my scales.” 

“Sure? You don’t want to just sit on the sand?” Bertholdt shook his head. 

“I don’t really get out of the water very often. When I do it’s almost always sand or rock. When I’m in Marley I actually live underwater, and when I see humans it’s on the beach. I want to sit on the grass.” Reiner hummed and nodded, then picked up his satchel with the sewing stuff he’d brought. “Can you carry me? It’s really hard for me to move around on land too much…” 

“Of course.” Reiner went over to Bertholdt, Bertholdt wrapping his arms around Reiner’s neck. Reiner grunted whenever he lifted Bertholdt up, him keeping one arm around Bertholdt’s shoulders and the other underneath his tail. 

“Ooooh… the grass feels ticklish on my tail…” Bertholdt leaned back and stretched his arms out, gripping the grass with his hands. He tugged on it and pulled some of the grass out of the ground, then sprinkled it back down. “It’s soft, but in a different way than the sand. And it isn’t as warm.” 

“I like the way grass feels on my feet. It tickles a lot.” Reiner got his things back out of the satchel and started sewing again. “Just let me know when you’re ready to start again.” Reiner couldn’t help but stop and watch when Bertholdt started laughing and rolling around in the grass. 

“Hehe… it tickles so much!” Bertholdt laughed, moving his tail around while he rolled in the grass. “I love this stuff!” Bertholdt saw a flower and reached out, picking it and bringing it up to his face. It smelled nice. He crawled back over to Reiner and handed it to him. 

“A flower?” Reiner asked, glancing at the small wildflower in his hand. “What’s this for?” It was a pretty flower, colored pink. 

“Humans give flowers to people they care about, don’t they?” Bertholdt asked, Reiner smiling at that. Reiner nodded and looked at the flower, then tucked it behind the fin where Bertholdt’s ear would have been. 

“They do. But you look so cute with the flower there. Thank you, Bertholdt.” Bertholdt scooted to sit in Reiner’s lap, moving Reiner’s sewing supplies before getting comfortable. Reiner leaned forward and pecked Bertholdt’s cheek. Bertholdt couldn’t help but blush and feel his stomach flutter. 

“What do merfolk do for the ones they care about?” Reiner asked. Bertholdt closed his eyes at the feeling of lips on his cheek again. He turned his head to kiss Reiner’s cheek, then his lips. 

“Well… giving one another conch shells is pretty common. And the snails inside can be pretty tasty, to tell the truth, so getting a shell isn’t hard. But sometimes merfolk like giving their partners nautilus shells.” Bertholdt paused and thought for a moment. “If a merfolk were to want to get married, it’s customary to give your partner a crown. You can’t buy a crown, though. You have to make it yourself.” 

“That sounds interesting. Usually humans give each other rings.” Reiner leaned back into the grass and put his arms behind his head. Bertholdt followed and laid next to him, resting his head on Reiner’s chest. 

“I’ll get you a conch shell, Reiner. I need to find a pretty one.” Reiner laughed and ran a hand through Bertholdt’s hair. It wasn’t often Bertholdt’s hair was dry, but it was so soft. 

“I’m sure you’ll like eating the snail inside as much as I’ll like the shell.” 

“You bet.” 

  


Days turned to weeks, which turned into months. Bertholdt still made his trips to the island to meet up with Reiner. It was a little lonely at times, Reiner being the only human he met up with. 

Seeing Reiner was the only reason he came back anymore. There wasn’t much of the island left to explore; he’d gone around the entire island, even seen other villages far away from Reiner’s. Reiner hadn’t been particularly interested in that; he was already aware of them, and there was trade between them. 

Reiner sneaked out of his home that night and met up with Bertholdt at the cove after sundown. He smiled sheepishly whenever he quietly made his way to the water, Bertholdt giving him a relaxed grin. “Sorry. I had to be really careful not to wake Gabi up. She got scared because of some story her friend told her and crawled into bed with me. Sometimes she curls up and clings to me when she sleeps if she’s afraid.” 

“She must be having sweet dreams about her brother or her friends.” Bertholdt said, Reiner climbing onto his back so they could go back to the cave. “Didn’t you say that she was going to be having a birthday soon?” 

“Yeah. She’ll be turning eight. Gabi made me a little rag doll that looked like her, so I made her a doll that looks like me. She’s getting a little old to be clinging to me so much.” Reiner nuzzled into the back of Bertholdt’s neck and hummed happily. “But… I like her being clingy. I know it’s because she loves me.” 

“How could she not love a brother like you?” Bertholdt asked, the two of them settling in to the hot spring in Bertholdt’s cave. Any aches Reiner felt in his body dissipated while he relaxed in the water. The soft blue glow from the rocks within the cave were beautiful, especially the ones under the water. “Hey, I’ve been working on something for you.” 

“Hmm? What’s that?” Reiner asked, Bertholdt moving to where he kept the meager possessions he kept in his small home away from home. He didn’t need much; he could eat food he foraged underwater. He didn’t wear clothes like Reiner did. But still, Bertholdt grabbed a small bracelet and handed it to Reiner, him looking at it carefully. 

“Oh, this is cute, Bertholdt…” Reiner started to try to put it on, but found it too small to fit over his large hand. He cocked his head in confusion and glanced at Bertholdt. “It doesn’t fit?” 

“I didn’t make it for you. I thought you could give it to your sister.” A small ‘aww’ came from Reiner, him looking at it carefully. The pearls were all differently colored from one another, some of them just a little misshapen. “The pearls were all from around here. Sorry they aren’t perfectly round or all the same color.” 

“I don’t care about that, Bertholdt. And she won’t either. Thank you. So much.” Bertholdt swam over to Reiner and pressed a delicate kiss to his cheek. Reiner smiled and closed his eyes, letting Bertholdt nuzzle into him and pull him into a hug. 

At one time Reiner had been a little anxious around the merman. Bertholdt’s scales, slightly pointed fingernails, the sharp teeth in his mouth, and just not being human put him on edge in spite of the kind personality Bertholdt had. 

When did things change? When he called Bertholdt pretty? When Bertholdt said he was handsome? That day at the cove when Bertholdt kissed him for the first time? Clinging to Bertholdt always felt so natural whenever Bertholdt swam him from place to place. 

Reiner relaxed and let Bertholdt nuzzle him. His scales were so smooth and pretty. He very much enjoyed the feeling of intimacy; Bertholdt could cuddle him all day, any day. 

“I don’t mind making things for you. I like doing things for you because I care about you.” Reiner hummed and ran his hands along Bertholdt’s body, pecking the spot where Bertholdt’s neck met his shoulder. “You’re the only reason I come to the island anymore.” 

Reiner was quiet for a moment and slowed the roaming of his hands. He rested a hand on Bertholdt’s chest. “Really? Isn’t Marley a bit of a distance from here?” Bertholdt ran a hand through Reiner’s hair and leaned forward to kiss his cheek, then his lips. “You come all the way out here for me?” 

“Mhmm.” Bertholdt tenderly held Reiner and cuddled him. “Because I love you.” Reiner’s eyes opened wide, his face burning at that. Bertholdt found himself nervous, but held Reiner regardless. Reiner put a hand on Bertholdt’s cheek and kissed him. 

“For how long?” Reiner asked, Bertholdt shaking his head. 

“I don’t know. Whenever I gave you your gills I stayed around because I felt like I had to. And then I had so much fun with you that I wanted to stick around. At some point I stopped coming to explore and I started coming just to see you.” Bertholdt exhaled and then dropped under the water, wanting to feel the warm water in his hair. Reiner smiled when Bertholdt popped back up. “I knew for sure when I explored everything around here and still couldn’t wait to come back.” 

“You’re so sweet, Bertholdt.” Reiner said, putting his hands on Bertholdt’s shoulders. “I love you too. I love spending time with you. It never feels like enough. I have to see you so much I’m sneaking out of my house at night because seeing you in the day isn’t enough.” 

Bertholdt didn’t respond, but instead kissed Reiner again. And again. Reiner let out a tiny moan whenever Bertholdt pushed his tongue into his mouth. It was still a little weird for Reiner to kiss Bertholdt like this; he couldn’t help but notice the sharp teeth in Bertholdt’s mouth, as much as he tried to ignore it. Did Bertholdt feel the same way? 

Even Bertholdt had to pull away from the kiss to breathe; he wasn’t swimming through the water, so his gills weren’t doing anything for him. Reiner gave a content look to Bertholdt and kissed him, clutching at Bertholdt’s hair and tugging at it. Bertholdt moaned at the force, running his hands up and down Reiner’s sides. 

A gasp broke the stillness of the cave air when Bertholdt ran a hand down and started palming at Reiner’s crotch. “Bertholdt…” 

“Is that good?” Bertholdt mumbled, a hint of anxiety in his voice. Reiner pulled away from the kiss and looked down at Bertholdt’s red fingers fondling at his crotch. His breath caught in his throat, and a whine came out of his mouth. “Reiner?” 

“That’s right, don’t worry…” Reiner mumbled, closing his eyes and leaning into Bertholdt’s chest. Bertholdt moved to slide down Reiner’s undershorts, pulling them out of the water and tossing them to the side. A wet sound broke the still air, the shorts landing on the stone ground with a dull slap due to the water. Bertholdt hadn’t ever seen Reiner naked before, but he couldn’t help and admire the sight. He reached for Reiner’s erection and stroked it slowly. Reiner gasped against Bertholdt’s shoulder and let out another moan. 

“Does it feel good, Reiner?” Bertholdt asked, Reiner moaning quietly against him. Reiner nodded, clinging to Bertholdt while he stroked. Reiner’s eyes opened, him looking down at Bertholdt’s tail. 

“…Bertholdt?” Reiner asked, Bertholdt watching Reiner through half-lidded eyes. “Um… do you have a, well, do mermen have…” 

“Do I have a penis?” Bertholdt chuckled at the question and nodded his head in response. Reiner looked embarrassed and started to look away, but Bertholdt only kissed him again. “It’s okay, Reiner. It’s just inside of me.” Bertholdt felt awkward now, Reiner looking down at the bottom of his torso. “Mermen let their penises out when they want to have sex or masturbate.” 

“Can I see it?” Reiner asked, Bertholdt feeling his stomach turning just a little. Was that hypocritical? Maybe… here he was just stroking Reiner’s dick and now he was nervous. He swallowed and nodded. Reiner watched a pink, curved penis come out of Bertholdt’s pelvis. Reiner fidgeted for a moment, then reached down and grasped it. “Oh, it’s slippery?” 

“Merfolk have sex in the water, we have to self-lubricate…” Bertholdt didn’t feel like explaining the intricacies of his own biology. Instead he thrust his hips, his tail swishing back and forth under the water. “Oh, Reiner… keep doing that.” Bertholdt reached his hand back down, the two of them jerking each other off in the warm water. Bertholdt leaned forward and kissed Reiner, their tongues swirling around one another. 

Reiner let out a tiny laugh whenever they broke apart, him feeling Bertholdt let go. Bertholdt breathed for a moment, Reiner frowning in confusion whenever Bertholdt withdrew his penis back into his body. “Hey, what’re you doing…?” Bertholdt didn’t answer, but moved to press a line of kisses to Reiner’s neck. 

“Can you finger me?” Bertholdt sheepishly asked, Reiner noticing a red dusting on Bertholdt’s cheeks that didn’t quite match his normal red splotches. “I only have my cloaca so I can’t be fingered and have it out at the same time…” Bertholdt fidgeted with his fingers. Reiner glanced down and looked at the innocuous slit on Bertholdt’s tail. 

“I’m not going to hurt you? If your penis is in there will my finger fit?” Bertholdt closed his eyes and leaned back, him inhaling when a roaming hand moved back and forth on his hip. He chewed his lip and wanted to grumble. 

“I don’t feel like explaining my biology right now, Reiner…” Bertholdt complained, playfully but enough for Reiner to get the message to quit thinking too much. He inhaled sharply when one of Reiner’s rough fingers started prodding at his cloaca, then slid inside easily. “Hmm…” 

“Is that good? Will it stay slippery enough?” Bertholdt wordlessly nodded, him watching intently. Reiner noticed Bertholdt responding to the fingering and put in another finger, being rewarded with delicious whimpers. Reiner noticed Bertholdt’s tail twitching and moved to kiss Bertholdt’s cheek. 

“I’ll be fine, it stays slippery.” Bertholdt mumbled, closing his eyes and panting into the air when Reiner picked up the pace and sucked on his collarbones. Sloppy kisses on his neck made Bertholdt shudder. Reiner noticed Bertholdt clenching around him and glanced up. 

“Okay?” Reiner asked, Bertholdt nodding quickly. Reiner hummed and put in a third finger. It was exciting, watching Bertholdt whimpering and moaning. Bertholdt was always calm and collected, if not a little sheepish at times. Bertholdt had kept him calm whenever he first got his gills, when he almost died. But now Reiner felt so proud to watch pretty red scales grinding against his hand while Bertholdt’s composure faded to nothing. 

“I want more, Reiner.” Bertholdt reached a hand down and ran it along Reiner’s erection. “Please?” 

Reiner started to freeze at the request, his fingers slowing down but not stopping. “You want me to… put it in?” Reiner asked, Bertholdt watching him through content eyes. A lazy smile and a nod came from the merman, him giving Reiner a look to die for. Reiner frowned for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to do it. Bertholdt didn’t necessarily have legs he could get between comfortably. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to, Reiner.” Bertholdt said, noticing Reiner hadn’t actually said yes or no. Reiner shook his head and ran a hand along Bertholdt’s cheek while he kissed Bertholdt’s sensitive neck. Bertholdt couldn’t contain the gasps that came when Reiner sucked his neck in just the right way. 

“I was just thinking. Here, let’s move.” Bertholdt let Reiner move him, Reiner laying him on the sand where the warm water met the ground of the cave. Reiner straddled him, a leg on either side of Bertholdt’s admittedly narrow hips. Reiner moved to line his erection up with Bertholdt’s cloaca and started prodding at it. “This is okay, right? Will… will any weird merfolk things happen? I won’t get you pregnant or anything, will I…?” 

“No, Reiner. I’m not a seahorse. Nothing will happen.” Bertholdt felt himself getting a little impatient and had to keep reminding himself that Reiner didn’t know any other merfolk and had no way of knowing what should be obvious. The impatience faded quickly when Bertholdt felt Reiner pushing inside of him, Reiner closing his eyes and letting his mouth fall open. “Ah! Reiner!” 

“Fuck…” Reiner mumbled, pushing forward until his hips were flush with Bertholdt’s tail. Reiner’s hands dug into the sand on either side of Bertholdt’s shoulders. The water was warm, but Bertholdt was so much warmer and _so_ tight and cozy. Reiner pulled out and pushed his hips forward again, his hands gripping the sand tighter. “Hmm, Bertholdt…” 

Bertholdt closed his eyes and enjoyed the content hums coming from Reiner when he started picking up his pace. Reiner let go of the sand and moved his hands to Bertholdt’s hair, squeezing it tightly. Bertholdt grinned at the pressure on his head and sighed. “Oh, Reiner. I love you.” 

“Love you too.” Reiner’s words were barely mumbled. He didn’t seem to have much to say, Bertholdt noticed. A quiet ‘yes’ here and there, a loose swear word every now and then. Mostly lots of grunting and humming. But he didn't need Reiner proclaiming his love for him right now anyways. The way Reiner was making him feel now was enough. Bertholdt rested his chin on Reiner's shoulder. 

Reiner ran a hand along Bertholdt's face. God, every part of Bertholdt was breathtaking. No angel could hold a candle to such a beautiful creature. The shiny red and white scales of his body softly lit by the glow of the cavern made him even more angelic than he normally looked. Reiner leaned down, hugging Bertholdt and cuddling him. 

“More, Reiner, please...” Bertholdt asked, his voice almost edging towards being demanding. Reiner turned his head to the side and glanced at Bertholdt, then kissed Bertholdt’s ear fin. He was thankful for whatever merfolk biology kept Bertholdt slick, because dear god it felt so good with almost no friction at all. Reiner adjusted himself and started pounding away. “Yes! Reiner!” 

“Like that?” Reiner asked, getting an enthusiastic nod in return. He started to bite his lip when he felt Bertholdt’s pointed fingertips digging into his backside, leaving angry red lines in their wake. It stung, but Reiner couldn’t bring himself to care right now. Not when he had a beautiful merman underneath him, squeezing around him and threatening to make his mind go to mush. “Oh, fuck!” 

Reiner grit his teeth and let out a loud moan when he felt his orgasm overtake him, him thrusting until he felt he couldn’t anymore. He panted for a moment, then pulled out. Bertholdt was breathing heavily, him looking down at his cloaca. Reiner swallowed at the sight of his cum dripping out into the water. 

Reiner fidgeted for a moment, unsure of what to do. “H-hey, let your penis out again. I want you to come, too.” Bertholdt did as asked, him closing his eyes and resting his head back against the sand. Reiner cocked his head and watched it come out. Reiner stroked it for a few moments before leaning down and taking Bertholdt into his mouth. 

“Oooh, Reiner…” Bertholdt gasped, moving to rest a hand on top of Reiner’s head. The head bobs were slow and unsure, Reiner being totally inexperienced. He ran his tongue up and down awkwardly, but Bertholdt couldn’t help but feel his tail twitching regardless. His orgasm came quick, Bertholdt groaning lowly and squeezing Reiner’s hair tightly while he pushed Reiner’s head down. Reiner let out a surprised squeak when Bertholdt shoved his head down and came into his mouth. 

Reiner pulled his head up when Bertholdt let go, him coughing and wiping at his face. Bertholdt gave him an embarrassed smile and sat up, moving to nuzzle into Reiner’s shoulder. 

“I love you, Reiner.” Bertholdt closed his eyes and pulled Reiner into a hug. They laid in the shallow water for a moment, then moved into the deeper water so the warmth covered their whole bodies. Reiner watched Bertholdt with content eyes… part of him wanted to go home and sleep, but most of him just wanted to stay here all night with Bertholdt. “Reiner… what are we?” 

“I don’t know… I just know I want to stay with you. I don’t want this moment to ever end. Now is perfect.” Reiner glanced to the side and saw the pearl bracelet Bertholdt gave him to give Gabi. 

What a kind, gentle soul. Bertholdt couldn’t meet Gabi, she would talk and not even realize it. But in spite of that, Bertholdt cared for her. No wonder he fell for him. 

“That’s fine with me. I’ll stay with you. Next time I go to Marley I’m going to bring you something special. I’m still looking for a pink pearl necklace like you wanted.” 

“It’s okay, Bertholdt. I’m not in a hurry. And if you can’t find one, it’s okay. Your bracelet you made is so precious. I’m sure Gabi will love it.” Reiner closed his eyes and swam over to Bertholdt, letting Bertholdt hold him while they floated in the water quietly. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with more love in their heart than you.” 

“What makes you say that?” Bertholdt asked, running his fingers along Reiner’s back. He felt bad; the skin on Reiner’s back was red and tender where he’d been scratching a few minutes earlier. He kept his touch delicate, not wanting to irritate Reiner’s sore back. 

“You care about everyone. Even people like Gabi, that you’ve never met before. And you care about humans even though you say lots of merfolk don’t care about humans at all.” Reiner was silent for a moment and clutched Bertholdt’s torso. “You saved me without knowing me. And you’ve done so much for me since. I wish I could return the favor.” 

“You have returned the favor. Knowing you love me makes me so happy.” Bertholdt felt Reiner move to rest his head onto his shoulder. Bertholdt rested his head on top of Reiner’s. “I don’t know what I looked forward to every day before you.” 

They floated in silence and enjoyed each other’s company for a while, until it was time for Reiner to go home. Reiner got himself dressed and latched onto Bertholdt’s back, Bertholdt swimming him back to the cove. Reiner sat on his knees in the sand and let Bertholdt kiss him. 

Seeing Bertholdt giving him that adorable smile, with the moon and waves in the background, took Reiner’s breath away. Surely he’d remember this moment for the rest of his life. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Reiner. Sleep well. I love you.” Reiner nodded and gave Bertholdt another hug and kiss. 

“I love you too. Sweet dreams, Bertholdt.” Bertholdt bid him farewell for the night and swam away, back to his cave. Reiner stood up and made his way back home. He took off his pants and wrung them out, then hung them up on the line outside to dry. He made sure to be quiet whenever he slipped back into his home. 

Gabi was still in his bed where she’d crawled in earlier. Reiner smiled and walked to her, running his fingers through her hair for a moment. He went to her bed and pulled back the covers, then scooped her up to tuck her in. Reiner picked Gabi’s doll up off the floor and tucked it in with her. 

She was getting a little old for her doll. Reiner thought for a moment about his baby sister growing up. He wanted her to stay his little pal forever. Such is life, he supposed. Reiner leaned down and kissed Gabi’s temple, then made his way to his own bed. 

He hadn’t even realized how tired he was until he felt sleep pulling him under. Reiner smiled in his sleep at sweet dreams of a red and white merman swimming with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm going to try to have the next bit ready shortly. :)  
> I'm not happy with the smut this chapter but as long as you, the reader, are that's what matters :')


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ah. Suit yourself, Reiner! If we get somewhere one day, I’ll be sure to smoke and preserve some meat and bring it back to you.” Sasha started to sit up, then stretched herself out and yawned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wound up being really long, because I'm trying to condense the story down to seven chapters. Sorry ^^

“Where have you been going off to so much lately, Reiner?” Sasha asked, putting her hands on his shoulders while he sat with his fishing rod at the end of the dock. Gabi was playing in the shallow water by the shore with Sasha’s little sister Kaya. Reiner turned to the side and gave his friend a smile and nod before turning back to watching his lure. 

“What do you mean? I’ve not been doing anything different than usual.” Reiner made his move when he felt pressure on his fishing rod. His brows furrowed while he worked to catch his fish, him satisfied with the size of the fish. He put it on the stringer, with the other fish he’d caught since he started fishing. Not a particularly productive day, if he were being honest. 

“Every few weeks you’ve been disappearing for a few days, then you come back and start hanging out with us again.” Sasha said, as though it were obvious. She looked down at the fish Reiner had caught, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Reiner was a good cook or not. Maybe if he caught a few more she could trade some meat she’d gotten while hunting with him. “Got some sort of secret?” 

“No!” Reiner said, almost defensively. Sasha grinned at him and elbowed his ribs, Reiner frowning at her inadvertently hitting his gills. He’d never thought about his gills being tender but being hit on them hurt more than he thought it would. Bertholdt must know they would hurt because his touch was always beyond delicate when his hands roamed Reiner’s torso. 

“Oh, don’t worry. Everyone’s got secrets. Jean and Marco act like it’s a secret that they’re in love. Eren thinks it’s a secret that he and Armin have been trying to figure out how to leave the island. Carla’s been worried sick.” Sasha chirped. She looked at Reiner and stuck her tongue out. “I’m not telling you what my secret is, though!” 

“If you won’t tell me your secret, why should I tell you mine?” Reiner asked, him putting more bait on his fishing line. He tossed his line back into the sea and kicked his bare feet back and forth. Sasha laughed and shrugged her shoulders, her watching Reiner’s lure bob back and forth. 

“I guess you’re right. I won’t ask too much. But I miss you when you disappear.” Sasha was silent for a moment and turned to watch their sisters playing together. Gabi was splashing Kaya with water. “As much as Gabi talks about you, I’m surprised she hasn’t noticed.” Reiner hummed at that and frowned when he thought he got a bite. No tension suggesting a fish had bitten. 

“Well, Gabi sees me at home every morning and night. Sometimes she sleeps with me and I get her ready in the mornings. She probably hasn’t noticed anyways.” Reiner pulled his rod and put the next fish he caught on the stringer. Again, he tossed out his bait. The fish were out in full force now. As long as his family’s bellies stayed full, it didn’t matter if he spent all day fishing or just an hour. 

“Are you seeing someone special? Maybe from another village?” Sasha asked, raising a brow at Reiner and speaking with a bit of sass in her voice. Reiner kept staring at his lure, but didn’t respond otherwise. She elbowed Reiner’s torso again, him closing his eyes and groaning. “Oh, sorry. I hit your ribs a little hard, there. My little Reiner’s in love!” 

“Little? What’s that supposed to mean? I’m older than you, and bigger…” Reiner said defensively. Sasha had a wide smile on her face while she leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. “When am I going to meet her?” 

“Well, actually…” Reiner chewed his lip, but Sasha gave him a look for a moment before her expression changed. 

“Ooooh… when am I going to meet him?” Reiner sputtered and didn’t know how to respond, but Sasha just took his awkward fidgeting as a confirmation. “I won’t tell anyone. Not even Connie. Don’t worry.” 

“Not… not now. I’m not ready. I can’t…” Reiner cared for Sasha, he cared for her deeply. She was probably one of the more down-to-earth people living in the village. Definitely easier to talk to than Mikasa. Not as bull-headed as Eren. Didn’t live in the future like Armin did. And she could keep a secret; nobody in the village knew about the time she and him were the ones who freed some of the Bodt’s piglets years ago. But still, he couldn’t tell her about Bertholdt. 

Would she even believe him? Reiner glanced to the side and saw Sasha examining the fish he’d caught. Yes… Sasha would believe him. Not that she was gullible. Well, maybe a little bit. But she was a good friend of his, and she wouldn’t think he’d lie to her about anything. Maybe that’s why he didn’t want to tell her about his lover. 

“Gonna keep him a secret for now?” Sasha teased. She rested her head on his shoulder and listened to their sisters shouting at one another playfully. Reiner didn’t mind the pressure on his shoulder and let his friend rest. “Eren has really been wanting to leave Paradis lately. I don’t know why. If he wants something different, he could just go to another village. I’ve heard Stohess is nice.” 

“Eren is headstrong. He’s probably just wound up. You know, his dad being from another land is pretty interesting. I think Eren just wants to know.” Reiner must’ve just gotten lucky, because now the fish weren’t biting at all. Except for the ones that kept stealing his bait. “It’s probably just harmless curiosity.” 

“Yeah. I don’t know anything about their plans. I’ll admit, they’ve got me interested! Imagine all the different foods that must be out there!” Sasha said excitedly. “Think about it! Even in Stohess and Trost there are all sorts of different kinds of fish to eat. Imagine a place far away from here, what might they eat?” Reiner chuckled and shook his head at his friend. In the end almost everything went back to food with her. “I wonder if the sirens really are why nobody can leave?” 

“You still believe those old stories?” Reiner asked, turning to Sasha and raising a brow. One more fish and he’d be satisfied. He could fillet them and make a nice dinner for his mom and sister. “I know Gabi and Kaya are around that age where they’d believe in sirens, but I’m surprised to hear you actually think they might be out there.” 

“Of course sirens are out there! Why else wouldn’t we be able to leave?” Sasha asked, leaning into Reiner and speaking lowly. “You know, Armin has been going to the different villages lately with his grandpa. Supposedly the island is cursed.” 

“Our island is cursed? I’m not sure I believe that. It’s probably just storms. And we don’t know that everyone who leaves dies, just that they never come back. Maybe they live somewhere else.” Reiner knew that to be a lie. Bertholdt had told him about shipwrecks, at one time they even explored a sunken boat looking for something interesting. But again, Sasha didn’t need to know all that. “Besides, I’m fine staying here. I don’t care where I am as long as my family is safe.” 

“Ah. Suit yourself, Reiner! If we get somewhere one day, I’ll be sure to smoke and preserve some meat and bring it back to you.” Sasha started to sit up, then stretched herself out and yawned. 

“You’re too kind, Sasha.” Reiner said, moving to reel in the last fish he’d need. Reiner turned around and noticed a fish had been removed from his stringer. He looked and saw Sasha with a smile on her face. 

“No, _you’re_ too kind. Thanks for the fish! I’m gonna go make myself a little snack.” At that, Sasha turned around and walked away with one of his fish. Reiner rolled his eyes and shook his head, then turned around and cast his line back out again. 

Just one more… 

  


“They’re saying the island is cursed.” Reiner said, sitting on the end of the cove with Bertholdt. The sun had long set by now, the moon hanging over the horizon in a pretty crescent. Bertholdt was leaning into Reiner, his head resting on Reiner’s shoulder. Reiner’s feet and the end of Bertholdt’s tail sat where the waves would wet them, but Reiner didn’t have to worry about his pants getting too wet. 

A gorgeous conch shell sat on Reiner’s lap. It was a big one, too. Bertholdt had been beyond excited to give it to Reiner; he’d told Reiner to put it up to his ear so he could hear the ocean. Of course Reiner could go outside and hear the ocean whenever he wanted, but that wasn’t the point. 

"I wouldn’t doubt it. You know, I’ve been trying to do some research as to why people can’t go to Paradis. I went and talked to some older mermaids and mermen to see if they knew anything. One of them told me there was an old story about a human named Ymir.” 

“Ymir?” Bertholdt nodded his head against Reiner’s shoulder. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a human named Ymir.” 

“Supposedly, a long time ago, there was a human girl named Ymir. She was supposed to have been one of the most kind, thoughtful girls ever born. She cared very much for her village and all the people who lived there. But people from other lands threatened her home, because there was a great power there.” 

“Was her home Paradis?” Reiner asked, wanting clarification. Bertholdt nodded again. 

“Yes. But Ymir by herself was just a young human girl. So she sold her soul to the Earth Devil, and she became almost godlike in her power. She died after some time defending her home, but her soul lived on and became a guardian spirit that defends Paradis. That’s why nobody can come in, Ymir doesn’t want anyone to come and hurt her subjects. And that’s why nobody can leave; because they’ll be better off being drowned than persecuted in the outside world.” 

“Do you think it’s true?” Reiner asked, Bertholdt shrugging. 

“I don’t know. I think it’d make more sense if she didn’t punish her own people for trying to leave. But if she were only a young girl, she might not understand what she’s doing. And I don’t know why people here wouldn’t know about the story. Maybe that’s what it is. Just a story.” 

“Well, it doesn’t really matter. As long as the people of Paradis are safe, I guess…” Bertholdt smiled when he felt Reiner kissing the top of his head, then ran a hand along his face. “People are starting to actually believe in sirens. If my friend Sasha is to be believed, anyways. She said that Eren and Armin are trying to think of a way to get off the island, that sirens might be to blame for the storms that make ships crash.” 

“Since when are sirens able to cause storms that crash boats? When you told me about sirens, they just ate kids. They didn’t just make ships sink.” Reiner picked Bertholdt up and put him into his lap, then started running a hand along the long, red tail. At first Reiner found Bertholdt’s tail had an odd texture, but now it was nice to run his hands along. 

What would he look like as a merman? What would Bertholdt look like as a human? Maybe he’d be green… green was his favorite color after all. Maybe he’d have a cool pattern on his face like Bertholdt. Bertholdt would be a tall human, most likely… his torso was pretty long, and so was his tail. 

“Just be careful, Bertholdt. I don’t want anyone to try and hurt you because they’ve got some sort of misguided idea about what you are. Stay safe for me.” Reiner moved to kiss Bertholdt’s cheek, then his nose, then his lips. 

“You care so much about me. I love you too.” Bertholdt cuddled Reiner’s chest and closed his eyes. Reiner ran a hand up and down Bertholdt’s arm, then squeezed his shoulder. Bertholdt couldn’t help but close his eyes. He could fall asleep right here, but he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t want to swim back to his cave after taking a nap. “Do you think it’ll ever be safe for me, Reiner…?” 

Reiner was silent for a moment. “I don’t know. I know mom would warm up to you. Gabi would be so excited to meet you. She’d trust you because she trusts me.” Reiner let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. “I don’t like keeping you a secret. I want to go out into the middle of the village and tell anyone who will listen about you and how much I love you.” Bertholdt was silent and listened to Reiner’s steady heartbeat. They were more alike than they were different. But the way Reiner spoke, the people of Paradis might not see it like that. 

“I know, Reiner. I have no doubt in my mind you love me.” Bertholdt was quiet for a moment. “We’ll figure something out one day. Things will change. I won’t have to keep going back and forth. It’d be nice if merfolk could come here to Paradis. I’ve explored the island. Found a place under the sea that’d probably make a good spot for a little village.” 

“Hehe. I’d like to see all the different kinds of merfolk. None of them could be as gorgeous as you, though.” Bertholdt shivered at the feeling of Reiner’s kisses along his neck. “Not in a million years. Never, ever. You’re more beautiful than an angel. I know it.” 

“You flatter me too much, Reiner.” Reiner shook his head and caressed Bertholdt. 

“No, I don’t. I’ve never told you something I didn’t mean.” Reiner said seriously, moving to hold both of Bertholdt’s cheeks in his hands. “I love you with all my heart. I can’t imagine a future where you aren’t there.” 

Bertholdt looked like he was ready to tear up. He smiled and pecked Reiner’s jaw. “I love you too, Reiner.” Bertholdt kissed a line of wet kisses along Reiner’s neck, getting a heavy inhale out of his human. He wrapped his arms around Reiner’s neck and pulled him down into the sand, getting a surprised yelp out of Reiner. Bertholdt gave him a cheeky grin. Reiner smiled, long used to the razor-sharp teeth in Bertholdt’s own grin. “Reiner?” 

“Hmm?” Reiner adjusted himself and started to sit back up, but Bertholdt pulled him back down again. Reiner grunted when he was back on the sand again. 

“I want to do it before I go back to my cave.” Reiner swallowed and felt his face heat up. He leaned up and looked around. Not a single soul in sight from any direction. 

Eh, fuck it. They were alone. They both started giggling like kids when Reiner straddled Bertholdt and leaned down to kiss his neck and face over and over again. 

  


Reiner woke up early the next day. His mom was still asleep, as was Gabi. The rag doll Reiner had made for her, whom she affectionately named Leon, sat on the floor where she’d rolled around in her sleep and tossed it out. Reiner picked up the doll and looked at it. He made it with blonde hair and a smiley face to make it vaguely look like himself. To match the doll she’d given him that vaguely looked like her. 

Very carefully, Reiner tucked Leon into Gabi’s arms and pulled the blanket back up over her torso. Her pearl bracelet sat nearby. She hadn’t worn it because she was afraid of losing it. He rubbed circles into her shoulder, then leaned down and kissed her cheek. Gabi made a tired groan, then turned onto her side and pulled Leon to her chest. 

He was almost always the first one awake these days. He enjoyed the calm, cool mornings before everyone started their day. Reiner made his way out of his home, walking to the cove he and Bertholdt met up at. He was beyond surprised to see Eren and Armin at the shore, both of them coughing and panicking. They were soaking wet, the two of them looking like they’d been submerged. Reiner’s brows rose, him running down to the two of them. 

“Eren! Armin! What are you two doing?!” Reiner shouted, running to help Armin stand up. He turned and helped keep Eren supported, then helped lead them to a spot where they could lean back and sit. “Why are you wet?” 

“We… tried to take a boat and sail away…” Armin got out, him breathing heavily and shaking his head. Reiner opened his mouth, but closed it back and ran a hand down his face. Were they nuts?! Everyone knew what happened whenever you tried to sail away! 

“Why would you do something like that?!” Reiner had to stop himself from shouting. He couldn’t help but feel protective of his younger friends at times, and now he just wanted to smack them. Was this how parents felt? Especially Armin, he was so smart but did something so _stupid!_

“We thought we knew what we were doing! Armin studied the weather patterns, the courses people that have tried to leave took, methods to keep boats from sinking, everything!” Eren was being defensive, his expression setting into one of anger. 

“By all accounts, we should’ve been fine… I don’t understand why our plan didn’t work… We even had Sasha to catch and prepare food for us while we were sailing, and on the way back home.” Armin’s eyes snapped open, him looking around from side to side. “Where’s Sasha?!” 

“You’re saying Sasha was with you?” Reiner asked, him going back to the shore and looking around. No sign of their friend. Reiner looked off into the distance, but couldn’t see anything. His stomach started to twist, but there wasn’t anything he could do. “How did you two get back here?” 

“I don’t know! The last thing I remember was sinking underwater. But when I woke up I was on the shore. Armin was next to me when I woke up.” Eren took his shirt off, and Reiner made a quick look at his torso just to make absolutely sure. No gills. 

“I… I’m not sure how this could have happened! What if something happened to Sasha? It’d be all my fault for trying to go out, we were careless! We shouldn’t have tried to leave, we thought we knew what we were doing, but…!” Eren grabbed Armin’s shoulders and squeezed them tightly, giving Armin a hard look. 

“Armin. Get it together. Panicking isn’t going to solve anything.” Reiner watched the two friends silently. It was rare to see Eren being the composed one. “…I don’t think we could’ve stopped that. I think it was the sirens.” 

Reiner cocked his head to the side and watched the two of them. Armin was shaking, but watched his friend closely while he tried to calm down. 

“We tried to account for everything. All the stories you heard from the other villages… the stories about the evil sirens keeping us imprisoned here on this island… they must be why we can’t leave.” Both of them were quiet, Armin clinging to Eren. Armin started crying into Eren’s shoulder. 

Reiner wasn’t sure it was his place to do or say anything to them, but it wouldn’t have mattered because the two of them stood up together regardless. Eren turned to look at Reiner. 

“We’re going to try and get a search party for Sasha together. …If you see or hear anything, Reiner, please. Let us know.” Reiner swallowed and nodded, then looked down at the sand. The whole town would be looking for her. 

Sasha had to be okay, right? He fidgeted nervously, then stripped down to his undershorts once he was absolutely sure he was alone. Reiner went out into the water, and made his way to Bertholdt’s cave. It took a lot longer than it took whenever he would ride Bertholdt to the cave, and it occurred to Reiner just how fast Bertholdt was in the water compared to a human. And he said he was actually slow for a merman… 

Eventually Reiner made his way to the familiar cave, the water getting warmer the further in he went. It didn’t take long for Reiner to make his way to the enclave where Bertholdt lived, him seeing Bertholdt sitting at the shore. Bertholdt heard him coming, him turning his eyes and seeing Reiner approaching. 

“Bertholdt…?” Reiner noticed that Bertholdt had been doing mouth-to-mouth with a body next to him. Reiner made his way as quickly as he could, him recognizing the girl on the cove. “Sasha!” Reiner got on his knees next to her, him gently slapping the side of her face. “Sasha?” 

“Reiner… this girl. She’s gone.” Bertholdt said, him looking down and shaking his head. “I tried. I swear, I tried.” Reiner grabbed Sasha’s shirt and pulled it up, seeing no gills on her side. “I tried. I can’t… well, I can’t bless someone who’s already died.” 

“Sasha is… dead?” Reiner shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. He moved to open her eyes with his hands, both of them falling shut when he let go again. “Come on, Sasha! Wake up!” Reiner said, leaning down to try mouth-to-mouth on her. He knew it was futile. If Bertholdt couldn’t bring back someone that drowned, he never could. “Bertholdt!” 

“Reiner, I’m so sorry.” Reiner started crying, him scooting forward so that Bertholdt could pull him into a tight hug. Bertholdt delicately ran a hand through Reiner’s hair, him feeling his own eyes burning. He really, really tried to save the girl’s life. “I tried, I promise I tried.” 

“I know you did…” Reiner got out between sobs. After a minute, Reiner moved and pulled Sasha’s body against him, him hugging her against him. He ran a thumb along her cheekbone. What would she have possibly been thinking whenever she tried to go with Eren and Armin…? 

Actually, he knew exactly what she’d have been thinking. Eren and Armin knew what they were doing, and there must be so many delicious meats in lands far away from Paradis. 

Bertholdt hugged Reiner from behind while Reiner held Sasha’s body against him. Little Kaya wasn’t going to have her sister anymore. It was a heartbreaking situation from all angles. 

“Bertholdt. I have to take her back to the village. I… her family deserves to know. They can’t keep looking and hoping she’s alive.” Reiner stood and held her body against him. 

“Give the body to me, I’ll swim it to the shore. You follow me, it’ll be easier that way.” Reiner nodded and got into the water, him swimming after Bertholdt. 

“What happened, Bertholdt?” Reiner asked, him looking at Sasha’s body hanging limply from Bertholdt’s shoulders. He was silent for a moment before speaking. 

“I was out early this morning. I wanted a snack, and I was out looking for a flounder to eat. Cravings, you know. I went out a little way, and I saw a boat sinking. There were three people sinking, too. I grabbed two of them and dragged them up to land as fast as I could. But I had to go back for the third. I… was too late. She drowned, and I couldn’t bring her back.” 

“I see.” Reiner didn’t have much to say. Bertholdt understood. Eventually they made it to the shore, Reiner looking around quickly before stripping off his underwear. He wrung out the water and put them back on, then dressed himself again. He turned around to see Bertholdt running a finger along Sasha’s cheekbone. 

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Bertholdt kept mumbling quietly. Reiner squatted next to Bertholdt and put a hand on his shoulder. 

“It isn’t your fault, Bertholdt. Please don’t blame yourself. You did more than anyone else could have.” Bertholdt nodded shakily. Reiner exhaled heavily. “I’ll come see you again later, okay?” Bertholdt nodded and went back into the water. “I love you, Bertholdt.” 

Bertholdt turned around and looked at him, a sad smile on his face. “Thank you, Reiner. I love you too.” Bertholdt dove back under the water to return to his cave. Reiner waited for a moment, then looked back at Sasha. He shook his head and picked up her body. 

The walk to the village felt like it took an eternity, but the minute he was spotted he was swarmed with hopeful villagers. In only a moment those hopeful villagers broke down, her father falling to his knees and her sister clinging to him. 

How heartbreaking. …Was this what his family avoided all that time ago whenever Bertholdt saved him? Would his mother and Gabi have broken down in the village like that? 

Eren was standing at the end of the dock with Armin sitting next to them whenever Reiner found them again. Mikasa had stayed with Sasha’s family; she always was closer to Sasha than Eren and Armin. Armin was sitting, Eren was standing with his arms crossed. When Reiner approached them, it seemed as though Eren was shivering. 

“Eren…?” Reiner said quietly, approaching the two of them carefully. Armin turned around, a look of sorrow on his face. Eren didn’t turn around. Instead, he stared forward. “Eren?” 

“They took her away, Reiner.” Eren said flatly. He shook his head, then fell to his knees and punched the dock underneath him. “Damn it! She’s gone!” 

“Eren…” Reiner started, him leaning down to put a hand on Eren’s back. Eren jerked away and turned, his face set into an expression of pure rage. 

“I’ll kill them! I’ll kill them all!” Eren barked, tears streaming down his face. “Every last one of them! Every siren in this world! I’ll kill them!” 

Reiner recoiled and backed up a little. He swallowed, unsure of how to handle Eren’s rage. Instead he stared down at the dock and tried to focus on the sound of the waves. 

  


“Your birthday is coming up in about a month, isn’t it?” Bertholdt asked, the two of them sitting on a small ledge overlooking the water. They weren’t high up; they could safely fall into the water if they needed to. Reiner nodded and kicked his legs back and forth. Bertholdt was running his hands along the grass while they felt the breeze on their bodies. 

“Yeah. I’ll be eighteen. My mom was going on and on about her baby boy growing up the other day. It was a little embarrassing.” They’d been seeing one another for a while. Over a year. Reiner kept an arm around Bertholdt’s shoulders and kept him close. “It’s going to be my first birthday I can remember without Sasha around. I miss her.” 

“I know you do. I know it wasn’t my fault… but I wish I could’ve done more.” Bertholdt nuzzled Reiner and relaxed. Reiner had taken his shirt off, so Bertholdt got to feel Reiner’s soft and warm skin. They were alone, where nobody would be able to see his gills. “I don’t have nightmares about her anymore.” 

“You saved Eren and Armin. You saved me. You’re pretty much a guardian angel for Paradis at this point.” Bertholdt laughed against Reiner’s body. Reiner pulled Bertholdt up to kiss him, then poked his nose. “What’s my merman going to get me for my birthday?” Reiner teased, moving to rub their noses together. Bertholdt blushed and put his head on Reiner’s shoulder. 

“I’d thought about getting you a nautilus shell. But I have something else in mind. It’s a surprise, just for my Reiner.” Reiner laughed and pulled Bertholdt down so they were laying in the grass together. No matter how much time they spent in the grass, Bertholdt couldn’t help but want to spend more time there. “I’ll go back home sometime tonight, so I’ll be back in time for your birthday.” 

“You won’t tell me what you’re getting me?” Reiner asked, putting on a pitiful voice. He gave Bertholdt pouty lips and puppy dog eyes, but it didn’t seem like Bertholdt was fazed at all. Bertholdt chuckled and shook his head, then kissed Reiner’s cheek. Reiner frowned when Bertholdt stuck his tongue out at him. “Fine, be that way.” 

“You love me, my Reiner. Besides, it’ll be more special if it’s a surprise.” Bertholdt nuzzled into Reiner and laughed when he felt kisses on his delicate neck. “I should probably start to get ready to go. It’ll be late when I get home as it is…” 

As always, they parted ways that night. Whenever Bertholdt disappeared beneath the waves, Reiner crossed his arms and watched the water for some time. What did the world look like beyond the water? Where was Bertholdt going? Were there sights to see on the way? 

Gabi was still awake when Reiner got home, much to his surprise. She had her thread and needle in her hands, her quickly putting the thread through the eye of the needle. Reiner smiled at his sister and went to sit next to her, him pulling her into a warm hug. Gabi smiled and looked up at her big brother when he let her go. “Hi, Reiner.” 

“Hi, Gabi. Are you sewing tonight?” The living room was dimly lit by the fire in the fireplace. Gabi nodded, her stitching together a pair of brown pants. Her skill surpassed any skill in sewing Reiner had ever had. It was nice to watch her working so diligently. She was talented with the needle. Not so much with his fishing rod. They’d been fishing together some, but Gabi was still pretty squeamish. 

She’d lose her mind watching Bertholdt eat. Reiner smiled at the mental image of Gabi reacting to Bertholdt sucking a snail out of its shell. Of course, he’d reacted… poorly to Bertholdt eating that crab. Enough that Bertholdt thought that he didn’t care about him. Reiner truthfully still felt bad about that. 

“Kaya says a siren killed her sister, but you said sirens aren’t real.” Gabi said that and looked at Reiner as though she wanted confirmation from Reiner that sirens were made up. Reiner’s mouth set into a hard line, but he moved to put Gabi in his lap. She looked down and leaned into her brother. “I don’t want to get taken away, Reiner…” 

“Sirens aren’t real, Gabi. They’re stories made up to scare kids into behaving. I was told the same stories when I was your age. You don’t need to worry about them, okay?” Reiner kissed Gabi’s nose and rubbed her shoulder. “Besides, if a siren tried to eat you, I’d save you. I promise.” Gabi didn’t respond, but she settled into Reiner’s chest, him holding her against himself. 

“If sirens aren’t real, why are people saying a siren is why Sasha died?” Gabi asked. Reiner was silent for a moment while he tried to think of an appropriate answer. Gabi opened her eyes and looked up at her brother. “Reiner?” 

“People like knowing why things happened. You know how you don’t like it when mom says ‘because’ when she tell you what to do?” Gabi nodded against Reiner. “Nobody wants to say that Sasha died just because. But… that’s why. She died, just because. Sasha wasn’t killed by a siren. She just drowned. It was an accident.” Gabi was quiet, then clutched at Reiner’s shirt. “Are you okay, Gabi?” 

“I miss Kaya. I miss Sasha too. She was fun.” Reiner sighed and rubbed up and down Gabi’s back. “I want things to go back to the way they were. Eren keeps saying he’s going to hunt sirens.” Reiner shook his head and ran a hand through Gabi’s hair. 

“I miss Sasha too. I even miss her stealing my fish. But what’s important is that we remember why she made us happy.” Reiner rested his head on top of Gabi’s. “And Eren… just ignore him. He misses Sasha too. He thinks sirens are why Sasha is gone. And since he thinks sirens are why Sasha is gone, that’s why he wants to hunt them. He’s sad and hurting and that’s how he thinks he’ll feel better.” 

“Is everything going to be okay, Reiner?” Reiner sighed and hugged Gabi against his chest. She was too young to be worrying the way she was. He kissed the top of her head and got back up, going to get them both pieces of fried dough their mother had made earlier. Reiner gave Gabi some of the dough and ate with her. 

“Yes. I promise, Gabi. Everything is going to be okay, even if sometimes it doesn’t seem like it.” Gabi leaned against Reiner’s arm. “I promise, my dear. Everything will be okay. If you ever worry, just remember your big brother loves you and won’t let anything happen to you.” 

“Thanks, Reiner.” 

  


“It’s not my birthday yet, Bertholdt.” Reiner said, trying to stifle a chuckle. Bertholdt frowned and stuck his tongue out at Reiner at that. 

“I still want to give you your gift. I worked really hard on it. I know you’ll love it and I’m just too excited to wait.” It was late now, the two of them sitting together in Bertholdt’s cave. Bertholdt had a small satchel sitting on the ground near where he liked to sleep. Reiner glanced over at the satchel and smiled, then shook his head. 

“You’re so impatient. I need to be getting home shortly, Bertholdt.” Bertholdt started to pout, then looked at the satchel. He swam over and grabbed it from the ground, then returned to Reiner. 

“Come on, Reiner. Pleeeeasssse? I know it isn’t your birthday but I want to give you your presents.” Reiner felt like this must be the opposite of what parents usually felt. Truth be told… he wanted his present really, really badly. But part of him was worried that Bertholdt might regret giving him his gift too soon. 

“Well… let’s go to the cove, and you can give me my presents there, okay?” Bertholdt nodded at that, him moving to allow Reiner onto his back to get to the cove more quickly. “Why are you so eager to give me your presents?” 

“I want to make my Reiner happy. I’ve had you on my mind for the past couple of weeks. I’ve been holding onto these for a while is all.” Bertholdt said, closing his eyes in content when he felt Reiner nuzzling him from behind. Reiner stopped breathing again, but Bertholdt was getting used to that. Reiner was really adapting to using his gills in the water. “It’s easy for you to put it off because you haven’t been thinking about it for weeks. You’d do the same thing if you had something for my birthday.” 

“…You’re right.” Reiner admitted. He knew Bertholdt must be making a smug face at the admission. Eventually they made their way to the abandoned cove, Reiner moving to sit down on the sand while Bertholdt sat close by. “So what do you have for me, love?” 

“I have a couple of things. I got you this nautilus shell.” Bertholdt pulled out the shell, Reiner admiring it. It was smaller than he’d imagined. Smaller than the conch shell. “Isn’t it cute?” 

“Yeah, it is. Thank you, Bertholdt.” Bertholdt blushed, then reached back down into his satchel again. He produced a black pearl bracelet, significantly larger than the pearl bracelet he’d made for Gabi. “Oooh, black pearls!” Reiner quickly slipped the black pearl bracelet onto his wrist and admired it. It was gorgeous. 

“I thought you’d like that. The next present isn’t really for you per se, but you’ll know.” Reiner’s eyes widened when Bertholdt produced a pink pearl necklace. He handed the necklace over to Reiner, who examined it in awe. It was absolutely beautiful, and Reiner was amazed to see it for real. He’d imagined what it would look like when he asked Bertholdt to find him one, but it was even more dazzling in his hands. 

Gabi would look absolutely beautiful with it. Reiner sniffled at the necklace, him reaching up to wipe at his eyes. 

“Oh, Bertholdt. It’s beautiful. I love it so much… thank you.” Reiner put the necklace on to make sure it stayed safe in the meantime. He’d put it up and give it to Gabi later. Bertholdt gave Reiner a heartwarming smile, then glanced at his satchel. 

“I have something else for you too. Close your eyes for me.” Reiner did as asked and heard Bertholdt fidgeting with the bag. “Okay, open up your eyes, Reiner.” 

Reiner gasped and reached his hands out. “A crown…? You made me a crown?” Reiner’s eyes went wide, him examining the crown carefully. It was beautiful. A green and golden crown, with an emerald set into a centerpiece with two seashells on its sides. Shells, pearls and gemstones lined the crown all the way around. Reiner couldn’t help but feel his lip start to tremble while he looked at the thoughtful gift. “Oh, Bertholdt…” 

“Do… do you love it?” Bertholdt asked, fidgeting with his fingers. Reiner nodded and felt his eyes starting to drip, him sniffling. Reiner put the crown on top of his head, Bertholdt swallowing at the sight. He’d spent a lot of time making it, but it was absolutely worth it to see it on Reiner’s head. “It looks perfect, Reiner.” 

“Bertholdt… yes, by the way. Oh, Bertholdt. You really made this for me?” Reiner took the crown off and admired it in his hands. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anything so beautiful, except for Bertholdt himself. How many hours went into making this? How much thought had Bertholdt put into it? Into _him_? 

“Of course I did. Because I love you. More than you could ever know, I love you. However many times I need to tell you, I love you.” Bertholdt scooted forward and took the crown from Reiner’s hands, then put it back on top of his head. “You have no idea how beautiful you look with your crown.” 

Reiner swallowed, then leaned forward and put a hand on either side of Bertholdt’s face and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. Reiner wrapped his arms around Bertholdt’s neck and buried a hand in his hair. Bertholdt let out a small moan whenever Reiner put his tongue into his mouth. Reiner tasted as sweet as ever, Bertholdt thought. Bertholdt returned the embraced, then moved to kiss Reiner’s neck when they broke apart. 

“Bertholdt, you really mean it? You want me forever?” Reiner asked, almost unsure. He felt like his heart could explode out of his chest. Deep down, he knew the truth. The sheer amount of time and effort that would’ve gone into making this crown, getting this bracelet, getting this necklace… Bertholdt planted sloppy kisses onto Reiner’s shoulders and neck, him delicately running his hands along Reiner’s gills. 

“Of course I do. I want to spend our whole lives together. You and I, we’re meant to be. I know it.” Bertholdt stopped kissing and nuzzling Reiner, pulling back to look Reiner directly in the eyes. Gray eyes hid a glint of emerald in them, Reiner noticed for what had to be the thousandth time. “After you made love to me for the first time, I asked you what we were and you said you weren’t sure. Even now, I’m not really sure what to call us… but I know what I want you to be. My husband.” 

Reiner took Bertholdt’s hands and held them in his own. “I… I gotta get you a ring, Bertholdt. I think silver would look good against your red fingers.” Reiner said affectionately, threading their fingers together. Were they young? Maybe. But Reiner’s mother was only nineteen when he was born. He was turning eighteen shortly. They weren’t too young. 

“Don’t worry about that for now, Reiner. Later.” Bertholdt went back to sucking on Reiner’s neck, then ran his hands down and admired Reiner’s gills. “You’re so handsome. My human. My Reiner.” Bertholdt nipped Reiner’s shoulder. Bertholdt went to Reiner’s ear and breathed hotly into it. “You make me so happy.” 

“Bertholdt…” Reiner let out a moan whenever Bertholdt dropped his hand and ran it along his loins. Bertholdt gave him an innocent look and pecked his shoulder, then let his hands continue roaming Reiner’s body. Reiner felt goosebumps raise all over his body, him unable to help but whimper. 

“Sssh. My Reiner. Tell me if I do something you don’t like, okay?” Bertholdt went to stroke Reiner, letting his own penis out of his body in the meantime. Reiner reached over and grasped the curved penis, his hand gliding easily over the slippery erection. “I’m going to make love to you tonight. Is that okay?” 

Reiner moaned, but then nodded. Every time they’d had sex, he’d been the one in control making love to Bertholdt. It was one part exciting, one part nerve-wracking to think about switching. But every time he found himself getting nervous, Bertholdt would stroke him in a way that made his mind go to mush. 

“Here, let’s move.” Bertholdt moved his head to gesture towards the water, Reiner nodding and following Bertholdt. They settled into the shallow water, Reiner laying on his belly and crossing his arms. Bertholdt brought his hand back to Reiner’s ass, fondling the cheeks for just a second before he started shallowly thrusting a finger inside him. “Is that okay?” 

“Hnnng, more…” Reiner whined into the air, a lazy smile on his face. He couldn’t see Bertholdt’s nod, but he felt the finger thrusting harder into him. Reiner couldn’t help but push his hips back into Bertholdt’s hand in time with the thrusts. “More, Bertholdt…” 

“Okay, I’ll put in another…” Bertholdt was careful and pushed the second finger inside delicately, Reiner mewling and grinding back down onto his hand. Bertholdt made an experimental scissoring motion with his fingers, Reiner panting into the air with every thrust of his fingers. He sounded so cute, Bertholdt unable to help but feel his heart swell while Reiner kept his eyes closed and moaned. “I’m putting in another, tell me if it’s too much.” 

“That’s good, Bertholdt…” It just felt so much different when someone else took care of him, Reiner thought. He’d masturbated, he’d fingered himself. He was only human, after all. But Bertholdt’s warm, slippery hands just felt so much better than anything he ever could’ve done for himself. He couldn’t help but bury his head into his arms while Bertholdt worked on him from behind. “Bertholdt.” 

“Reiner.” Bertholdt kept fucking Reiner with his fingers, relishing the sight of Reiner squirming against him. He was so cute. How could anyone think a human was plain and ugly? Say they’d never even entertain the thought of marrying someone like Reiner? Had they ever seen anyone like Reiner? Surely not. And the way Reiner’s crown sparkled in the moonlight… beautiful. 

“Bertholdt. I want you.” Reiner carefully lifted up his head and looked behind him, Bertholdt watching him intently. He felt his stomach starting to turn again, his face surely red even in places it normally wasn’t red. Bertholdt withdrew his fingers and leaned down against Reiner’s back. 

Wet kisses covered Reiner’s neck and shoulders. Bertholdt stroked Reiner’s blonde hair, Reiner giggling at little at the affection. “Are you okay, Reiner? Are you ready?” 

“Yeah… I want you. I love you. My Bertholdt.” Reiner sighed and looked at the pearl bracelet on his wrist. Gorgeous. 

“I love you too, Reiner. My favorite human.” Bertholdt teased Reiner just a little, then flipped Reiner over so he was laying on his back. Reiner admired Bertholdt’s fins on his arms and torso, him relaxing while he felt Bertholdt moving to line his erection up. He felt the end of Bertholdt’s cock start to push against him, Bertholdt stopping short. “Sure?” 

“Yes.” Reiner said, maybe a little impatiently. Bertholdt let out a groan when he pushed inside, Reiner squeezing his eyes shut and grinding his teeth. Bertholdt didn’t move once he was fully seated, instead moving a hand to stroke Reiner’s cheek. 

“Are you okay, Reiner?” Reiner nodded shakily, then let out a deep breath. Bertholdt leaned down to pepper kisses along Reiner’s jawline, him moving his hand from stroking Reiner’s cheek to running through his hair affectionately. “Does it hurt?” 

“It just burns, it doesn’t hurt.” Reiner breathed heavily and wrapped his legs around Bertholdt’s tail. It was true; his whole body felt burning hot, and not just because the shallow water he was laying in was warm. After a moment Reiner started to relax more, him goading Bertholdt into moving just a little. 

“Mmm, Reiner.” Bertholdt licked his lips and pulled out, then pushed back inside. Reiner was thankful for whatever merman biology was keeping Bertholdt slick, there being almost no friction at all while Bertholdt slowly thrust inside him. Bertholdt was always slippery… he still didn’t fully understand Bertholdt’s biology, but that didn’t really matter. “Tell me if you want me to stop, please… I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“You’re worrying too much again, Bertholdt.” Reiner laughed a little and shook his head, nuzzling into Bertholdt’s shoulder and breathing into the fin where Bertholdt’s ear would be. “I promise I’ll let you know, so keep loving on me.” 

A sigh, Bertholdt leaning down and wrapping his arms around Reiner’s torso. He couldn’t help but keep groaning while he thrust over and over, Reiner humming happily at the feeling. Reiner’s eyes opened halfway, him glancing down and looking at their bodies coming together. “My Reiner.” 

“My Bertholdt.” Bertholdt opened his eyes and glanced to the side, him propping himself up on his elbows so he could look at Reiner more. The shallow water kept splashing around them, but neither of them minded at all. “More, do it harder.” 

Bertholdt couldn’t help but let out lots of short grunts and moans. Especially not when he obliged and thrust even harder, the volume of Reiner’s moans going up. And especially not whenever Reiner squeezed his legs around his tail harder, or when Reiner held onto his shoulders like his life depended on it. Bertholdt leaned down and sucked on Reiner’s neck. 

“Oh, Reiner, you feel good… you’re so warm.” Reiner didn’t reply, unless mumbling his name counted as a response. Bertholdt noticed the ends of his fingers leaving red lines in Reiner’s skin whenever he started clutching at Reiner’s shoulders, but he couldn’t stop regardless. That was a regular thing at this point; Reiner was always covered in scratches after they had sex. “I don’t think I can hold on too much longer, Reiner.” 

“It’s okay, just keep going, please.” Reiner got out, him throwing his head back. His hair dug into the sand, but he could just get it all out later. Bertholdt kept thrusting harder and faster, him eventually letting out a sound louder than Reiner had ever heard come from the merman. He kept thrusting until he was done, Bertholdt withdrawing. 

Reiner leaned up so he was sitting in the sand, Bertholdt giving him a sultry look before he went south and started sucking Reiner’s dick while thrusting his fingers inside. Reiner grabbed at Bertholdt’s hair and pushed his head up and down, his legs trembling. Part of him always got a little bit nervous when he remembered how sharp Bertholdt’s teeth were, but dear god he couldn’t stay worried when Bertholdt’s tongue slid along him in all the right ways. “You taste good, Reiner.” 

“Bertholdt, god, keep going.” It didn’t take too much longer for Bertholdt to take Reiner to the end, Reiner thrusting his hips up whenever he came into Bertholdt’s mouth. Bertholdt moaned and swallowed, licking his lips whenever he finished and moved up to kiss Reiner again. “God, I love you.” 

“I love you too, Reiner. You’re going to be my husband. We’ll be together forever and ever.” Bertholdt breathed, Reiner scooting to rest his head on Bertholdt’s chest. Bertholdt ran his fingers through Reiner’s hair in the meantime. 

Reiner took off his crown again and looked at it happily. “I love it.” His eyes drifted to the pearl bracelet on his wrist, then to the pink pearl necklace around his neck. He really didn’t deserve Bertholdt. 

No sense in saying something like that out loud. Bertholdt would just assure him of his love anyways. Instead Reiner stayed quiet and listened to Bertholdt’s heartbeat. 

  


“S-siren…?” Part of him wanted to feel awkward. Watching a close friend getting rammed by some sort of creature was definitely awkward. But Eren’s eyes couldn’t help but drift to the slits on Reiner’s chest. 

It’d been a total accident. He’d gotten into an argument with his mom again, and he’d stormed out of the house to go for a walk. He was just wandering around, truthfully. He’d heard grunting and moaning, then followed the sound. 

Reiner was down there with slits on his ribs, just like the siren on top of him. And that was definitely a siren having its way with his friend. Much to Reiner’s enjoyment, it sounded like. What was that crown Reiner was wearing? 

Eren breathed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. Was Reiner part siren? What about his family? Was he a traitor to the humans? Siding with the sirens killing them all? Eren shook his head and felt his eyes burning. That thing was one of the things that made Sasha die, and Reiner didn't seem to care? 

Eren swallowed and turned around, going back to his home before Reiner or the siren saw him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reiner's Crown](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/A5QAAOSw8H1boVll/s-l300.jpg)
> 
> Thanks for reading! I love you all :)  
> <3


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I know you’ll look beautiful. You’re the prettiest girl on the island. But with this necklace, you’ll be the prettiest by even more.”

“Hey, Eren, how have you been lately? I haven’t seen you.” Reiner said, walking up the dock when he’d noticed Eren and Mikasa sitting next to one another at the end. “Not much, anyways.” Eren glanced behind him and saw Reiner approaching, him turning his head back and watching the waves. 

"Dad’s been keeping me busy. Teaching me and Mikasa how to take care of people and all.” Eren spoke distractedly, but didn’t look away from the waves. Reiner frowned; Eren seemed preoccupied in a way he normally wasn’t. And Mikasa was staring at him in a way that truthfully made him nervous. “Mom’s been jumping on me. You know how moms are.” 

A laugh. “Yeah, I definitely understand that. It’s because she loves you, though. My mom fusses over me and Gabi both.” A silence hung in the air after Reiner spoke. “I didn’t see you the other night. We all got together and roasted a hog that Marco’s family gave my mom for my birthday.” Eren hummed and turned around to look at Reiner. 

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t even realize it was coming up. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.” Reiner nodded and glanced at Mikasa. She was usually glued to Eren, but especially so since Sasha died. Sasha was Mikasa’s closest friend, after all. Clinging to Eren meant familiarity. He hadn’t seen much of Eren, but he’d seen even less of Mikasa. 

“Do you want to talk about it, Eren?” Reiner asked. A shake of the head. Reiner chewed on his lower lip. “Well, if you want to talk you know I’m around. Connie and I are going to be hanging out tonight, we’re lighting a fire. His brother and sister will be playing with Gabi so we don’t have to worry about the younger kids.” 

“I think I’ll pass for now, Reiner.” Eren’s voice was monotone. A tense silence hung in the air, and Reiner couldn’t help but feel that Eren didn’t want him there. Instead, he reached down and gave Eren a pat on the back before turning around to walk away. “Reiner?” 

“Huh?” Reiner turned around and saw Eren still staring at the ocean. Mikasa was watching him, though. “What’s up?” 

“What do you think about what happened to Sasha?” Reiner’s eyes went down to the dock at that. His chest hurt thinking about it. The night of his birthday, he couldn’t help but think of her whenever they roasted the hog. She’d have loved the fatty meat; Sasha never missed a roast in the village. Kaya wasn’t out with Gabi much anymore. Reiner missed her and so badly wished she hadn’t made the decision to get on that damned boat. 

“I… I miss her very much. We would’ve had so much fun on my birthday. It was my first one I can remember without her there. What happened to her was an accident and I wish it wouldn’t have happened.” Reiner fidgeted with his hands for a minute. “Kaya has been upset, and all of this has Gabi wound up.” 

“I miss her too.” Eren said flatly. “I… Would you do anything about the sirens, Reiner?” Reiner raised his brows, then shook his head and looked down. 

“Eren. Accidents happen. Sirens aren’t real, they’re just stories to tell kids to make them behave. Gabi’s been so anxious since Sasha died because she’s afraid a siren is going to get her. She’s eight, she doesn’t need to be worried about dying! She should be worried about running out of her thread and not being able to finish her doll!” Reiner ran his hand through his hair. “I would kill any siren that threatened our home. But I’m not going to, because they aren’t real.” 

“If they aren’t real, why did Sasha die? Reiner?” Eren stood and turned around, anger burning behind his eyes. Eren approached Reiner, Reiner turning around “Tell me, why did Sasha die? It was the sirens! Armin and I did everything to make sure we’d be safe!” 

“Stop yelling, Eren!” Reiner said, turning around and frowning. “I’m right here! I miss Sasha too. I know you want to blame _something_ for her being gone, but it was an accident. Accidents happen.” 

“It wasn’t an accident! It was the sirens! I _know_ they’re real!” Eren’s hands balled into fists, both of them squeezing tightly. “Sasha is gone and isn’t coming back!” 

“You're being paranoid over a children's story! Maybe she wouldn’t be gone if she didn’t get on that boat with you and Armin! You knew what happened every time someone’s tried to leave before and you did it anyways!” Reiner half-shouted. What was the point in arguing? It wouldn’t bring Sasha back. She wouldn’t want her friends arguing with one another. 

“How dare you!” Eren shouted, rearing back to punch Reiner. Reiner’s eyes widened, him not expecting the move and taking the punch to the cheek. He fell back a couple of steps, then shook his head. Reiner saw Eren approaching him again and reached forward to grab the smaller man, him tossing Eren to the side off the dock. 

Before he even knew it, Reiner’s legs were kicked out from underneath him, him landing on his back and staring at the sky. He coughed, the wind having been knocked out of him when he landed flat on his back. Mikasa stood over him, glaring down at him. 

“Don’t you even think about touching him again.” Mikasa said lowly, her walking away after that. Reiner sat up and saw Eren crawling onto the shore. Mikasa reached down and helped Eren up, the pair of them walking away immediately. 

“What the _hell_ was that…?” Reiner mumbled to himself, him standing up after breathing deeply a few times. All he’d really wanted to do was check in on his friend! Eren was seriously freaking out about those damned sirens, acting like Sasha had been murdered and that vengeance would do something. 

They all missed their friend, but it was over now. She was gone, and she wasn’t coming back. He could blame Armin and Eren. Blame Sasha herself. But it wouldn’t do any good. 

Reiner walked back towards his home, him unable to help but rub his cheek in the meantime. Being sucker punched hurt quite a bit; Eren was stronger than he looked, too! His cheek was still sore when he got to his house, him going in and grabbing a quick snack. 

His mom and Gabi were both out. Bertholdt was in Marley, having left a couple of days after his birthday. Reiner had doubts about bringing too many of Bertholdt’s gifts home, so his crown and pearl jewelry were still in Bertholdt’s cave. God forbid Gabi play with the crown and break it, or start asking questions he couldn’t answer. 

Well, he wasn’t up to going out right now. Connie would be over with his little siblings later to hang out with him and Gabi. With that in mind, Reiner laid down his bed to rest for a nap. 

  


Bertholdt’s kisses were always just a little salty, but Reiner didn’t mind. He spent all his time in the saltwater, so it wasn’t really a surprise. And once he got over the saltiness, Bertholdt was surprisingly sweet. Reiner had gotten some treats for the two of them to share, and Bertholdt had taken to the sugared dough he brought. 

“Thank you for this, Reiner. It’s absolutely delicious.” The two of them were sitting on the soft grass by the abandoned cove. Bertholdt’s eyes were closed, him leaning against Reiner’s shoulders. “I like having chocolate. I bet dough with chocolate in it would be delicious.” 

“That sounds good. Chocolate is very rare in my village, and my family could never afford it. Apparently it’s more common in Stohess, because the plant they make it from grows closer to there.” Reiner finished his dough and sighed, him crossing his arms behind his head and laying down. Bertholdt followed after him, resting his head on Reiner’s chest. It was a clear night, and all the stars were shimmering in the sky. “You ever wonder what all is out there?” 

“I do. There are stories about all the fantastic things on land, far away from the ocean. Massive landmasses with deserts stretching as far as the eye can see. Whole fields made of ice! And so many different animals unlike anything you or I have ever seen.” Bertholdt absentmindedly looked glanced down at his tail, then nuzzled Reiner’s chest again. “Sometimes I wish I had legs. You and I could go see the world together.” 

“I’ve thought the same thing, but in reverse. The world you’re from sounds magical. Underwater villages, swimming side-by-side with majestic sea creatures. The rays, the seals, the colorful fish… I wish I had a tail and lungs like yours so I could explore it all with you. These gills will only take me so far.” Reiner laughed and shook his head, feeling his skin tickle when Bertholdt’s hair rubbed against his bare chest. “I want to see this Atlantis place you’ve talked about.” 

“Well, I’d like to see that myself. Maybe someday we’ll figure something out. But for now, I’m fine just seeing you.” Bertholdt pecked a kiss onto Reiner’s jaw. “I want to meet your family so badly. Your mother and sister sound so perfect.” Bertholdt sighed and watched the stars above. 

“You know, we all watch these same stars at night. Merfolk and humans. I wish… well, I just don’t think some of the people here would see that.” Reiner’s eyes drifted to the moon. It’d be full in a few days, and he couldn’t wait for it because Bertholdt never looked more beautiful than he did bathed in moonlight. Maybe if he wore some pearls… or had his own crown. “I’m worried, Bertholdt.” 

“About what? Did something happen?” Bertholdt glanced up but didn’t see that Reiner’s facial expression had changed. 

“Tensions have been getting high back home. People have been talking about the possibility of sirens being real. I mean… merfolk are definitely real, so they aren’t _completely_ wrong, but there’s talk that a siren is the reason Sasha died.” Reiner saw Bertholdt’s expression set into one of sadness and some frustration. “Sasha dying wasn’t your fault, Bertholdt. If you grabbed her instead, it would’ve been Eren or Armin. You saved them, and me. Please stop beating yourself up.” 

“I know. …But based on how you’ve spoken, I don’t think the other villagers would see it that way.” Bertholdt rolled so that he was laying on top of Reiner; Reiner moved so his arms were around Bertholdt’s torso. “I’m glad of everyone I met on this island, it was you. I want my friends to meet you. But I’m afraid to bring them here. You being nervous has started making me nervous.” 

“Let’s go back out into the water, it’s getting late and I need to go home. Just let me cling to you a little while.” Bertholdt nodded, the two of them hopping back into the water. When they got back to the cove, Reiner couldn’t help but move so he was in front of Bertholdt, the two of them floating together. “Your hair is so shiny in the moonlight.” Bertholdt stuttered at the compliment. 

“You’re making me blush.” Bertholdt said, him leaning forward and nuzzling his nose against Reiner’s. The two of them laughed and held each other, the two of them cuddling in the water until it was time to leave. 

Three sets of eyes watched from nearby, them having been scouting the area near Reiner’s house. “You were right, Eren… Reiner is with a siren, dancing in the water with it…” Armin said, his stomach twisting at the sight. At the same time, Reiner was laughing and looked happier than Armin could remember him being in quite some time. 

“I knew sirens were real. Reiner was so pushy the other day about sirens being made up… why would he lie about something like that?” Mikasa wondered out loud. She looked at the ground, then to Eren. She’d seen red whenever Reiner tossed him off the dock, but when they went home Eren just started going on about Sasha’s death being more than an accident. 

Reiner and Sasha got along so much, and he’d seemed so upset about her death. Reiner couldn’t have let her die or wanted her to die. But he was definitely fine with that evil in the water. A scaled devil, surely. How many people drowned because sirens were sinking ships? 

“What do we do now, Eren?” Mikasa asked, her and Armin watching their old friend kissing the siren before putting his shirt back on. He definitely had gills… was he transforming? 

Eren watched them silently, the three of them quietly moving away whenever Reiner started walking back onto land towards his home. 

  


“I’m going out, I’ll be back later.” It was early, but Reiner wanted to spend the whole day with Bertholdt. He’d been having so much fun with him, and calling Bertholdt his fiancé was so much fun. It felt right. They’d go to the cove, have some sex, talk about a little bit of everything. Bertholdt was going to show him some underwater sights around Paradis… a full, fun day for sure. Reiner’s mother glanced back at him. 

“Have fun, dear. If you’re out late I’ll leave a plate of food out for you.” Reiner smiled at his mother, then made his way over to Gabi. She was sitting down and sewing a small pair of pants to go with a little doll she was making. Reiner leaned down in an attempt to hug her and give her a kiss, but Gabi backed away and frowned. 

“Hey, don’t hug me, Reiner…” Reiner felt a little hurt, him pulling back and looking down at her. Gabi watched him for a second, then went back to sewing the pants. 

“Why not?” Reiner asked. Gabi glanced up and him, then to her needle. 

“I’m growing up, hugging and kissing is what you do to babies.” Gabi said bluntly. Reiner’s mother watched them with a troubled expression on her face, Reiner turning and looking back to her. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. He was hurt, truthfully. 

He always said he’d wish Gabi would stay his little buddy forever. Times were changing. It was inevitable. Maybe his mom felt the same way when he grew up? With that in mind, Reiner went over to his mother and pulled her into a hug. She laughed and kissed his cheek, Reiner giving Gabi a smarmy look. She rolled her eyes and went back to sewing. 

Reiner walked out and towards the cove he met up with Bertholdt at. Bertholdt wasn’t there yet, so Reiner stripped down preemptively and made his way into the water. It was always cool at first, but soon the water would be warm enough. He swam out a little way, Reiner closing his eyes and floating peacefully. 

He started to scream but was silenced by the water whenever Reiner felt himself starting to be pulled under the water. As quickly as he was pulled under, Reiner found himself above the surface of the water again. He breathed heavily, his heart hammering wildly inside his chest. Bertholdt poked up out of the water and stuck his tongue out. “Fuck! What the hell, Bertholdt?!” 

“Oh, sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you so badly.” Bertholdt said apologetically. He grabbed Reiner and swam him to the cove they spent time alone at. If he let Reiner lay down in the grass, he might relax a little. “Here. Lay down, and rest. You’ll be okay.” Bertholdt said, guilt creeping into his voice. 

After a while, Reiner calmed down. He was frustrated with Bertholdt, but it wasn’t anything a little makeup sex couldn’t take care of. But how did time go by so quickly? It felt like they’d just started seeing one another whenever the sun started to dip below the horizon. And it felt like only a minute after that, the moon was hanging in the sky again. 

“You ever think about just laying out here and sleeping together in the grass? It’s so soft, and your body is so warm. I could fall asleep right now. My tail would fall asleep and it’d feel weird swimming in the morning, but it’d be nice anyways.” Bertholdt said absentmindedly. Reiner was naked now, but they weren’t up to anything at this point. It just felt more natural to cuddle together that way. 

“I have. But whenever I imagine falling asleep with you, it’s in the warm sand. And I’m using your chest as a pillow.” Reiner sat up and slipped his undershorts back on. “I always hate having to say good night. But I need to get home.” Bertholdt nodded, him smiling when Reiner picked him up. He loved when Reiner carried him onto land and into the water. 

“I want you to carry me into the forest one day. I want to see what it’s like on land. I mean, I can breathe the air. I just can’t walk.” Reiner smiled at the mental image of Bertholdt seeing land animals for the first time. At least land animals not found immediately by the shore, anyways. 

“I think that’s the least I could do for you, as much as you swim me around.” Reiner thought about Bertholdt wanting to eat land animals the way he ate sea animals, and part of him got nervous at that. They… they’d cross that bridge when they got there. 

Bertholdt stopped swimming suddenly, Reiner opening his eyes when he no longer felt water passing through his gills. His stomach dropped when he saw Eren, Armin and Mikasa at the edge of the beach where he and Bertholdt met up at. Why were they there? 

“Reiner… what do we do? Is there somewhere else I should take you?” Reiner frowned while he watched them. They… were staring in their direction. Had he been spotted? His clothes were on the shore, folded up and tucked carefully underneath a ledge to stay dry. There was no way to get on the shore without his gills being exposed. 

“I don’t know. Maybe if I talk to them they’ll relax? Armin is reasonable, and Eren and Mikasa both always listen to him.” Reiner swallowed, then let go of Bertholdt’s shoulders. “Eren can be bullheaded, but he usually listens to Armin. And Mikasa will listen to Eren.” 

“Okay, Reiner. I’ll go under the water, but I’ll be right here, okay?” Bertholdt plopped under the water quickly, Reiner feeling Bertholdt glide past him towards the shore. He swam to the shore, and set his eyes on the three of them. 

…Him being in soaking wet underwear and there being a girl on the shore made him all sorts of uncomfortable on top of every other reason he was uncomfortable. Reiner put his hands out in a non-threatening gesture whenever he got onto the shore. “Eren-” 

“You damn traitor!” Eren shouted, immediately rushing forward. Reiner’s eyes went wide, him moving to dodge but instead being grabbed by Mikasa instead. “You’re involved with a siren!? Even when you know what they’re doing to the people here? Even after what happened to Sasha?” 

“Sirens aren’t real, Eren!” Reiner tried to shout, but Mikasa kept a tight grip on him. She pulled his neck up so it was exposed, Reiner unable to move his head much. “Bertholdt… he isn’t a siren…” 

Armin and Eren approached him, Armin curiously prodding at his gills in the meantime. Reiner closed his eyes in discomfort at the feeling of Armin poking his gills. Armin stopped when he saw Reiner’s eyes closing. 

“What’s happened to you, Reiner…? You’ve grown gills. You never used to care for swimming much and now you do it all the time. Are you transforming?” Armin asked curiously. His voice seemed to lack the malice in Eren’s voice. “Are you going to fully transform into a siren? How much longer are you going to be a human?” 

“I’m not turning into a siren. They aren’t real…” Reiner felt Mikasa tightening her grip while Eren stared him down. 

“Sirens killed Sasha! Didn’t you say Gabi’s father tried to leave? They killed him! They’ve killed dozens of innocent people! And you’re out fucking one?” Eren grabbed a flap of skin around Reiner’s gills, him groaning in response. “I know you didn’t used to have these… when did you betray us?” 

“I haven’t betrayed you, Eren! You’re my friends!” Reiner got out, finding himself feeling immense frustration starting to burn within him. “Bertholdt is harmless! He saved me!” 

“Who is this Bertholdt?” Mikasa asked, her voice deadpan. Reiner’s adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. 

“He’s a merman… he’s my partner, I love him…” Reiner’s eyes closed in discomfort. Eren took his knife and pressed it against Reiner’s throat, Reiner feeling terror start to bubble within him. 

“Why should we believe that? You’re turning into a siren, and you’re fucking a siren. Of course you’d say he was harmless. You brought this siren to the island, didn’t you?” Eren grit his teeth and wiped at the tears dripping from his eyes. “You’ve always been my friend, Reiner! Why?! Sirens killed Sasha… Do you even care she’s gone?” 

“Let me go, Eren…” Reiner got out, him starting to seriously worry about the blade against his neck. 

Before Eren could respond, the sound of water splashing loudly sounded through the air, followed by a panicked yelp. Bertholdt dragged Armin back into the water, holding Armin the same way Mikasa was holding Reiner. He opened his mouth and bared his razor-sharp teeth. 

“S-Siren!” Eren said, moving away from Reiner and starting to walk towards Bertholdt. Bertholdt glared and opened his mouth, putting his teeth around Armin’s jugular vein. “Let him go!” 

“If you even think about hurting Reiner, I’ll tear him apart.” Bertholdt spoke lowly and deliberately. His sharp claws dug into Armin’s skin, making Eren freeze in his tracks. “Let. Reiner. Go. _Now._ ” Armin seemed frozen in place, the same as Reiner. 

“You monster! You’re the reason Sasha is dead! How many more of you are there?” Eren demanded an answer, but Bertholdt only glared at him and kept his teeth pressed against Armin’s neck. 

“Why should I explain anything to you? You won’t listen! Reiner tried to talk to you and all you did was threaten to kill him!” Bertholdt replied. He could feel Armin shivering in his arms, and part of Bertholdt felt guilty threatening the party that _wasn’t_ trying to hurt Reiner. At the same time, Reiner didn’t try to hurt any of them and they pushed a knife to his throat. “Reiner hasn’t done a damn thing!” 

Eren pressed the blade closer to Reiner’s neck, Reiner feeling like he was going to pass out. At that, Bertholdt started to sink his teeth into Armin’s neck in retaliation. Eren looked like fear welled in his eyes at that, because he pulled the knife away from Reiner’s neck. Bertholdt stopped biting and pulled back. 

“Something has happened to you, Reiner… does your family know? Is Gabi turning into a siren, too?” Eren asked. Reiner felt rage burn inside him at that, him moving suddenly and finding the strength to toss Mikasa off of him. 

“Leave my family out of this! You bastard!” Reiner barked, him charging towards Eren and tackling him. Reiner quickly disarmed Eren, grabbing the knife and throwing it into the water. Before he realized it, Reiner felt his head pulled up and another knife to his throat. Mikasa. “Gabi is innocent! She doesn’t know! Neither does mom!” 

“How could you keep something like this from them?! You tell Gabi everything!” Eren retorted. 

“Eren… let him go, please…” Armin croaked, him biting his lip when he felt the razor teeth starting to dig into his flesh again. Bertholdt was more than ready to carry out the threat if he had to. …Him threatening to kill Armin didn’t make him look any less harmless, though. “Please. Let Reiner go.” 

“Armin, he’s brought the sirens to Paradis! Nobody had ever even seen one, then Reiner shows up with one? Starts fucking it? Turning into a siren? We have to stop this before it becomes a problem!” Eren said. Mikasa pulled the knife away from Reiner’s throat but still kept him restrained. 

“That’s true, he did…” Bertholdt found himself irate that he kept being called evil, he hadn’t done anything. He saved them, tried to save Sasha, just wanted to spend his life with Reiner. “I don’t think his family knows, if they did Gabi would’ve told everyone.” 

“Please, let me go… leave my family alone, they don’t know. Mama and Gabi are totally innocent. Kill me, just don’t hurt them, please.” Reiner felt tears dripping out of his eyes. The thought of his actions hurting his family was too much to bear. “Leave my Gabi out of this… she’s innocent, I swear she is. She doesn’t know about Bertholdt. Don’t do anything to hurt her, _please._ ” 

“Let him go, Mikasa.” Eren said flatly. As soon as she let Reiner go, Bertholdt let Armin go. Reiner moved away quickly, standing by the shore. He watched Armin scramble over to Eren, both Eren and Mikasa moving to cling to him. “You were going to kill him… You really are evil.” 

“You were going to kill your friend for no reason, how is that not evil?” Bertholdt challenged. Eren glared at him but didn’t respond. 

“Your kind isn’t welcome here. You’ve killed so many people. Leave. Leave and never come back, or I’ll kill you.” Mikasa threatened Bertholdt lowly. Bertholdt frowned. He could rip her apart easily in the water, but he didn’t have legs. On land she’d cut him up. 

“Reiner…” Bertholdt started, quickly turning to his lover. Reiner tiredly looked at Bertholdt. 

“He has to leave, too. You’re a threat to everyone on this island.” Eren added, Reiner and Bertholdt both snapping their heads to look at Reiner. 

“What?! No!” Reiner said, his face falling into a scowl. “I haven’t done anything! Bertholdt hasn’t done anything! You’re nuts! You shouldn’t even threaten him!” 

“You’re a traitor. You’ve brought evil to this island, Reiner. If you stay, you’ll do it again. Leave, and never come back.” Mikasa said, her eyes boring into his soul. Eren was running a hand through Armin’s hair. 

“And if I don’t?” Reiner challenged again. Eren looked back at him, fury in his eyes. 

“Gabi won’t be safe with you bringing evil here. If you stay, I’ll kill you myself. If your family is as innocent as you say, they’re in just as much danger with you here as everyone else. Leave, and never come back. Or I’ll kill you.” Eren spoke deliberately. Bertholdt swallowed and felt guilt crushing him. 

“If I leave… you’ll leave Gabi alone? And mama?” Reiner asked, Bertholdt turning to watch him. 

“Reiner! You aren’t actually considering that, are you?” Bertholdt asked. He turned to look at their assailants. “I… I’ll leave! I’ll never come back! I’ll tell all the other merfolk to stay away from Paradis! Don’t make Reiner leave! Gabi needs him!” 

“Bertholdt, please…” Reiner breathed in deeply and sighed heavily, then shook his head. “If… if I leave, you’ll let Gabi and my mom live in peace? They’ll be safe? Taken care of?” Eren watched him with a stony expression, then nodded. Reiner stared at the ground, then swallowed. 

“Reiner…” Bertholdt stared into the water and looked at his tail. This world really could be cruel, couldn’t it? 

“I… I’ll leave. And never come back. As long as Gabi is safe, I’ll do anything.” Reiner balled his hands into fists, then moved to put his clothes back on. “I… I just need to grab a couple of things from home. Then I’m gone.” 

  


He couldn’t help but shiver and feel his stomach keep tying up in knots when he approached his own home. He’d never felt anxiety going home, not once in his life. Even when he knew his mom was going to yell at him, at the end of the day Reiner knew home was a safe place where loving arms would wrap around him. Be it his mom’s or his sister’s. Reiner knew he was loved. 

…He really was going to have to leave it forever, wasn’t he? Reiner’s lip trembled when he approached his home. Eren, Mikasa and Armin would come looking for him if he tried to flee. 

Gabi and his mom would be spared if he left. Eren and Mikasa were “showing him mercy” by letting him leave, if he never returns. Because he was their friend, they’d let him leave. Even if he was a traitor, even if he was in cahoots with the sirens, they’d let him live if he left and never returned. Bertholdt telling Eren and Mikasa he’d never return wouldn’t spare Reiner. They had their minds made up before they even confronted him and Bertholdt. 

Reiner pushed open the door of his home. It was late, and there was no fire in the fireplace. His mother and Gabi were sleeping. Reiner breathed heavily and ran a hand down his face. He couldn’t wake them, they’d be suspicious. Or freak out. Or try to stop him. They wouldn’t understand. They’d try and reason with Eren. Bring more suspicion upon themselves. 

They didn’t deserve that. Gabi and his mother… they deserved peace. Not the chaos he’d bring into their lives. 

Reiner saw the food his mother left out for him. He wanted to scarf it down, remember the taste of his mama’s cooking. But he didn’t have time. 

His mother was breathing softly whenever he went into her room. She was lying on her side, lost in a deep sleep. Reiner sat on his knees on the bed next to his mother and watched her for a moment. What might she be dreaming about? Him and Gabi? Her own youth? His father? Whatever it was, it must’ve been a good dream, because she snored softly and smiled. 

“Mom.” Reiner reached forward and ran a hand along her shoulder. “Mama… I’m scared. I don’t want to leave. But if I stay, you’ll only get hurt. So much more than me leaving will hurt. They’ll kill me… and you don’t deserve to see something like that. You don’t deserve to be cast away by the village. Gabi doesn’t either. I wish I could tell you everything.” Reiner paused and sighed, then leaned forward and pushed his forehead against his mom’s. “You always did listen to everything I told you. I’m sorry I kept so many secrets. I love you. Goodbye, mama.” 

He wiped at his eyes, then stood and went to the living space. Reiner grabbed a satchel and put some sentimental things in it. A hat that Gabi wove for him. Bracelets that he, Gabi and his mom all made together. The pearl that Bertholdt gave them at their first meeting. A couple of knickknacks that he knew wouldn’t be missed. His conch shell from Bertholdt. 

Reiner saw Amalia and Leon sitting together on a chair. His mom must’ve put them there. She always thought it was sweet that he and Gabi made one another. He went and picked both of the rag dolls up, looking at them in his hands. He swallowed thickly and tucked Amalia into his bag, then went to where Gabi was. 

“Oh, Gabi…” Reiner saw Gabi shivering in her sleep. She must be having a nightmare of some sort. Her expression was set into one of fear. Reiner sat on his knees beside her and ran a hand through her hair. Gabi’s lip trembled while she slept. She really was frightened of something. “It’s okay, Gabi. Your big brother is here. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.” Reiner took Leon and gently lifted up her arm, then put her arm back down. She seemed to respond, grasping the doll. Reiner delicately stroked her hair, then leaned forward to kiss her temple. 

“I have to leave, Gabi. I can’t tell you why. But I promise, I’m only doing it to keep you safe. I don’t want to leave you.” Reiner took Gabi’s hand in his own and squeezed it, then ran his thumb along the back of her hand. “God, no, I don’t want to leave you. You’re the most important thing in the whole world to me. More than anyone else.” Such a delicate little girl, Reiner thought while looking at how small her hand was in his. “It’s because I love you so much that I have to leave. I know you wouldn’t understand. As grownup as you like to act, you’re still only eight...” 

What kind of woman would Gabi grow up to be? She was going to be absolutely beautiful; Reiner knew for sure. So smart, and upbeat. Lots of love in her heart. Thoughtful. A true joy to be around. Gabi was absolutely perfect; he wouldn’t change a thing about her. A beautiful soul was within her. 

And he wouldn’t be around to see it. Leaving meant he’d never see Gabi again. But… her happiness mattered so much more than his own. He told Bertholdt once that no matter how badly it hurt him, he’d do anything for Gabi. Reiner closed his eyes tight and leaned forward, kissing her temple. He moved to kiss her cheek, then her cute little nose. Reiner stroked her cheek with his thumb and smiled. 

“I love you. I love you so, so much. I’m sorry… I know it’s going to hurt when you wake up and I’m gone. But just remember your big brother loves you. I’m going to miss you every single day.” Reiner grit his teeth and wiped at his eyes. He covered his mouth with his hands so that Gabi wouldn’t be woken by his heavy inhale. “Please don’t forget that I love you. No matter where I am, no matter how old I get, just know that somewhere out there your brother is thinking about you.” 

Gabi’s shivering started to slow down, her frown fading away. She clutched Leon closer to her chest and nuzzled her doll. Reiner smiled at the sight. He couldn’t stop himself from hugging his sister in her sleep. Reiner kissed her cheek a couple more times. “Hmm… Reiner…” Gabi smiled in her sleep, then rolled to face the other way. 

“I have something special for you, my sweet Gabi. I wanted to surprise you with it.” Reiner pulled a small box out from underneath his bed and grabbed the pink pearl necklace. Carefully, he put the necklace where Gabi would find it in the morning. “I know you’ll look beautiful. You’re the prettiest girl on the island. But with this necklace, you’ll be the prettiest by even more.” 

No response, but when Gabi rolled over again she was smiling. Reiner’s hands shook while he stroked her hair. He pressed a last kiss to Gabi’s temple. “Goodbye, Gabi. I love you. I always will.” Turning around hurt so badly. Reiner was ready to break down, but he couldn’t. Eren, Armin and Mikasa were waiting to make sure he left. 

He couldn’t help but shiver while he walked back to the cove. His home… it was getting smaller and smaller as he walked away, until he couldn’t see it anymore. Tears stained his cheeks, but he hadn’t even broken down fully yet. 

Eren, Armin and Mikasa all stood by the cove, Bertholdt in the water in the same place he’d been before. Bertholdt had a horrendously guilty expression on his face, and it only deepened whenever he saw Reiner approaching him. Reiner stared at the ground while he approached the ones he’d called friends. 

“I… I’ll leave… Reiner, you can’t leave-” 

“Quiet. You and Reiner have to go. You’ve invited an evil onto this island. How many people have died because you sirens have been sinking ships? And your willingness to kill Armin… this island won’t be safe until you and Reiner are gone.” Mikasa said bluntly. Bertholdt frowned at her words. 

“You guys are wound up on children’s stories! You’re destroying your friend over something you have no proof of!” 

“ _You’re_ proof! Of course you’d deny being a siren! You did… _something_ to Reiner! I saw him shirtless all the time when we were kids! He never had gills! You’re turning him into a siren!” Eren barked angrily. Reiner didn’t even pay them any mind. The only thought in his head was Gabi waking up to him being gone. What would she think? That a siren stole him? That he abandoned her? That he was dead? “And if it wasn’t you, it’d be another siren! He’s a menace to this island! Nobody will be safe as long as you two are here!” 

Reiner wordlessly stripped off his clothing so that it wouldn’t weigh Bertholdt down. He kept his undershorts on to at least give him some modesty, then waded into the water. He kept his satchel on his back; Bertholdt would keep him above water enough to keep his doll dry. “Reiner…” 

“I… Bertholdt, let’s just. Let’s just get this over with. I can’t take this…” Reiner sniffled heavily and choked out a sob. He turned around and looked at his former friends. “Gabi and my mom are totally innocent. They don’t know anything about Bertholdt, or me… so please leave them out of everything. Leave mama and Gabi alone, please. _Please._ ” 

A tense silence hung in the air. “…Eren. Mikasa. I think Reiner is telling the truth. His sister would’ve said something to everyone in the village by now if she knew.” 

Eren was silent, then crossed his arms. “Leave, Reiner. Leave, and never come back. Your family… we’ll let them be. They’ll be better off with you gone anyways.” Reiner swallowed. He knew that Eren was right in that regard. 

Bertholdt let Reiner cling onto him. Reiner rested his head on Bertholdt’s shoulder, then turned to look behind him when Bertholdt started swimming. His old friends… their expressions were starting to soften. But then Eren shook his head and turned away, him walking away back towards the village. Mikasa followed, but Armin simply sat on the shore. Reiner watched the shore until he couldn’t see it anymore. They stopped by Bertholdt’s cave to gather their last few possessions and Reiner’s crown. 

It was scary, Reiner thought to himself while Bertholdt swam. As far as he could see, in all directions, he only saw water. That was truly terrifying in a way Reiner couldn’t put into words. Did it look different underwater? Reiner couldn’t be sure. Not right now. It wasn’t time for them to laugh and explore underwater together. It was silent; neither of them wanted to talk. Bertholdt felt responsible for everything. Reiner’s thoughts were consumed with images of his sister and mama. 

Reiner wasn’t even sure how long they’ve been at sea whenever Bertholdt stopped at a small, uninhabited island to rest. Reiner thanked Bertholdt whenever they finally managed to stop and lay down. He grabbed his satchel and opened it up, pulling out Amalia. 

He squeezed the doll against his chest, hugging it tightly. Reiner choked out a loud sob and cried until he wasn’t able to stay awake anymore. 

  


Gabi cracked her eyes open, rubbing at them. The sun… she wished it would just disappear sometimes. Oh, she had Leon? She didn’t remember hugging him whenever she went to sleep last night. Whatever. She hopped out of bed and made her way out of her room, finding her mother in the living area. She looked concerned. 

“Mama, what’s for breakfast?” Gabi asked tiredly. “Where’s Reiner at?” Her mother turned and looked at her, a worried expression on her face. Gabi cocked her head and walked over to her mother. 

“I don’t know, dear… his food hadn’t been touched whenever I got up. Maybe he just went and slept at one of his friend’s homes.” Karina sighed and shook her head, then put her hands on her hips. “I swear, your brother knows how I worry. I like when he gets home early, you know. When he comes back I was thinking we could have some more fried dough.” 

“That sounds good. Reiner likes getting up early so he’ll be back soon.” Gabi went back to her bed and laid down, ready for Reiner to come home so she could get her fried dough. She felt bad about rejecting his hug yesterday, and a nice hug sounded good. Gabi curled up to stay warm and closed her eyes. Reiner would wake her up and probably give her a noogie for sleeping in. 

  


Gabi sat on the edge of the dock, staring out into the vast ocean. It’d been three years since Reiner went missing. She ran a hand along the pink pearls she wore, and remembered a time when someone would put her in a headlock and give her a noogie. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *pokes eventual happy ending tag*  
> I tried to keep Eren, Mikasa and Armin in-line with their pre-timeskip personalities, with sirens standing in for titans as far as Eren goes. I wanted him to come off irrational.  
> I'll try and get the ending posted sometime tomorrow! ^^


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabi sighed and watched the lure bob in the water. Reiner being gone… it got easier as time went on. But it was still so overwhelmingly lonely. Like part of her was missing. Sometimes she would get into Reiner’s bed and snuggle Leon. But it wasn’t the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! This one is completely unbeta-ed because I finished it in the middle of the night and nobody was available to beta it, but I wanted to post it anyways ^^;
> 
> By the way, just for reference:  
> Porco and Marcel are great white sharks, Zofia is a blue tang, Falco is a moorish idol, and Udo is a spotted eagle ray :)

“Reiner, are you going to be okay?” It’d been months since they’d left Paradis. Reiner sat on the shore of the beach and watched the sun set on the horizon, him closing his eyes while the breeze caressed his cheeks. He tiredly looked to the side and saw Bertholdt crawling out of the water and moving to sit next to him. Reiner sighed and shook his head. 

“I just… I want to sit here. I can watch the sun set from here. I can see it perfectly.” Reiner said, his voice beyond tired. Bertholdt chewed his lip and leaned over, resting his head against the broad shoulder. Reiner hummed and leaned his head to the side so it was resting on top of Bertholdt’s. “…I remember you said Paradis is where the sun sets. Watching the sunset makes me think about her. I know she’s out there, beyond where the sun is setting.” 

“I’m sorry, Reiner.” They were past Reiner crying himself to sleep every night. He still cried at night quite often, but not every single night. Sometimes he would hug Amalia and rest with a smile on his face. Slowly but surely, he was becoming just a little more active every day. But Bertholdt still saw the heartbreak every single day. “I know you’re hurting. Do you want to talk about it?” 

“I want to see her again. Even just once, I want to see her. I’d give her the biggest hug. Let her know just how much I love her.” Reiner sighed and felt his eyes starting to burn, then leak. Bertholdt closed his eyes and let Reiner hug him whenever he started crying again. “The last time I saw her, she was asleep. I don’t know if she heard me, but I told her over and over. I just want her to know.” 

The sun dipped below the horizon, and part of Bertholdt couldn’t help but wonder if Gabi was watching too. “Let’s go home, Reiner.” 

Reiner nodded and stood, then picked Bertholdt up and carried him. Their home was built into the water, so they could both live inside comfortably. It was nice. Reiner put Bertholdt down into the water and sat down next to him, sighing at the warm water on tired muscles. Reiner reached a hand over and took Bertholdt’s in his own. “Thank you for being here for me, Bertholdt.” Bertholdt closed his eyes and hummed, then brought it up for a kiss. 

“Always.” They sat in a comfortable silence. “Reiner?” Bertholdt turned to look at Reiner, then down into the water. “I was thinking… if you’re comfortable with it, there are a couple of merfolk kids that Marcel and Porco play with sometimes. They’re around Gabi’s age… they would love a new friend. If you’re comfortable with it. I just know you’ve been really lonely lately.” 

Reiner chuckled to himself and closed his eyes. “What are their names?” Bertholdt smiled slightly at the question. 

“Falco, Udo and Zofia. They’re so friendly and energetic. They’ve been wanting to come onto land more, and if you feel like you’re able to I’m sure they’d love to meet you.” Reiner thought about it. Three little merfolk children. It would help him with his loneliness, he supposed. They’d never replace the Gabi-shaped hole in his heart, but maybe it would help him heal. “They need to get used to coming onto land. It’d be easier for them to have a friend around.” 

“I guess I could do that.” Reiner sighed and submerged himself up to his chin. “I spent so much time taking care of my family that I don’t know what to do now that they’re gone. I hope they’re okay without me. I hope they know I love them.” Bertholdt moved to swim around Reiner in small circles. 

“You know they do. It was so obvious, even to me.” Reiner reached out and took Bertholdt’s hand, then brought it to his face. Bertholdt ran his thumb along Reiner’s cheekbone, Reiner closing his eyes at the feeling. “I know they loved you too. And they will no matter how far away you are.” 

“I know. I just want to see them again. It’ll get easier as time goes on, but it still hurts right now.” Bertholdt felt guilt bubbling up inside of him again, but made an effort to quash those feelings. He didn’t need Reiner feeling sorry for him right now. 

“I know.” 

The next day, Reiner was anxiously waiting for the children to arrive whenever Bertholdt called out to him from the water, him popping up by their house. Reiner raised his brows, then walked over to where his soon-to-be husband was floating. Bertholdt had a wide grin on his face, and Reiner couldn’t help but smile. 

“What do you look so happy about, Bertholdt?” Reiner asked, him enjoying the feeling of the cool water on his feet. Bertholdt only kept smiling at him. 

“I got a surprise for you, Reiner. Close your eyes and hold out your arms.” Reiner did as asked, then heard the sound of the water whenever Bertholdt submerged himself. Reiner wanted to roll his eyes; if Bertholdt was going to pull him under the water again, so help him God they were going to need to have a talk. Reiner frowned when he heard Bertholdt surface again, then felt something big and furry and wet in his arms. He opened his eyes and saw a young sea lion looking up at him. “Isn’t she a doll?” 

“A sea lion? Where did you find a sea lion?” Bertholdt smiled and moved to run his hand along the sea lion’s smooth body. The sea lion closed her eyes at the gentle touch. 

“Merfolk domesticated a small species of sea lion. She won’t get to be totally massive, but she’ll still get pretty big.” Bertholdt was silent for a moment, then looked at Reiner seriously. “I know you miss your family. And you miss taking care of them. You’ve been lonely. I just thought that having something around to take care of might make you feel a little bit better.” 

A smile. No wonder he fell in love with Bertholdt. He was so kind and considerate. Reiner ran a hand along the sea lion’s body, then brought her up to kiss her head. “Thank you, Bertholdt. She’s a cutie.” 

“What do you want to name her? Oh… and you should enjoy holding her while you can. They get pretty big pretty quickly.” Reiner nodded and looked at the animal in his arms. He swallowed and moved to stroke her face gently. 

“Can I… would you mind if I named her Gabi?” Bertholdt felt a pain in his heart. But still, he nodded and moved to kiss Reiner. They made their way back onto the shore, Reiner affectionately cuddling Gabi. 

She made a tiny bark, then puttered around in the sand whenever he put her down. “Thank you, Bertholdt. She’s adorable.” Reiner laid down on his belly and played with Gabi, her making a buzzing sound and moving to perch on his back. 

“You’re welcome, Reiner. I knew you would love her.” Reiner and Bertholdt sat and talked, the two of them waiting for a few more minutes until three little bodies popped up out of the water. “Oh, there they are! Come on, Reiner.” Both of them stood, Reiner clutching Gabi to his chest while he waded out to meet the merfolk children. 

Two boys and a girl. The girl was a light blue color, he noticed immediately. One of the boy’s was speckled and looked like he had wings under his arms, like a ray. For some reason, Reiner thought he looked a little bit like Bertholdt. The other boy had white, black and yellow stripes with a long fin coming from his neck. 

The girl’s eyes widened, her smiling at Gabi. “Oh, look how cute it is!” Reiner smiled at the children and sat down in the water. The three kids looked at Reiner’s torso, then gave Reiner a knowing look. 

“Who gave you those?” The speckled boy asked. “Oh! Sorry… my name is Udo. He’s Falco, and she’s Zofia.” The two other merfolk children were still giving Reiner sly looks, like they just learned a secret and were trying to keep it. Reiner glanced over at Bertholdt, then chuckled and smiled. 

“I’m Reiner. And this one here gave me my gills.” The three children started giggling, Reiner and Bertholdt unable to help but smile at the children. Zofia brought her hands to her chest and held her hands together. 

“Aww… you’re in love.” She said, Bertholdt feeling his face get hot when he heard her words. Reiner laughed and nodded, then moved to hand Gabi to Zofia. Zofia accepted the sea lion, Gabi making tiny barks. 

“That I am. Very much. And he loved me enough to make me a crown.” Reiner turned and pecked a kiss to Bertholdt’s cheek. The children started giggling again at that; Bertholdt was in love and made Reiner a crown! Bertholdt blushed but didn’t refute Reiner’s words. “Let’s build some sandcastles, hmm?” 

All three of the children enthusiastically went with Reiner to go build sandcastles, but Gabi kept knocking structures over. None of them seemed to care, since she was so cute. Bertholdt crossed his arms and watched Reiner with the kids. 

He’d always miss Gabi. But at the very least, Reiner could heal from what happened. Bertholdt glanced in the direction where the sun sets and thought about everything Reiner left behind. 

  


“I got the wood, mom.” Gabi announced when she walked into her home. She grabbed a bundle and brought it in, getting it ready to put in the fireplace. Her mother was fixing a pair of pants, her sewing with expert hands. She glanced up and smiled at her daughter. “Kaya and Louise helped, so we’ll have plenty for the next few days.” 

“Thank you, Gabi. I’m going to make some soup later. It shouldn’t take too long to get ready.” Gabi hummed an affirmation and went to her room. At one time, it was a room she shared with her brother. He’d gone missing four years ago, but his bed was still made. The rag doll he’d made her, Leon, was tucked into the bed. A portrait of him and her that had been drawn years ago sat close by. 

Gabi grabbed her fishing pole and made her way outside. “I’m going fishing, mom. I’ll be back shortly.” Her mother reminded her to come home soon, Gabi wanting to roll her eyes. She went to the abandoned cove that she and Reiner used to go swimming at, then sat on the edge of a small ledge. She put the bait on and tossed it out into the water. 

She never was particularly good at fishing. When he disappeared, Reiner had been teaching her how to fish. He always was really good at it, at least compared to her. Gabi sighed and watched the lure bob in the water. Reiner being gone… it got easier as time went on. But it was still so overwhelmingly lonely. Like part of her was missing. Sometimes she would get into Reiner’s bed and snuggle Leon. But it wasn’t the same. 

The last time she saw him, she refused to hug him because she was “too grown up” as she had said. Gabi was young to have regrets about life like older people did. But that was a regret, and she wished she could take it back. 

No nibbles. Were the fish not out today? The sun was setting now, and Gabi would need to be getting home. After Reiner disappeared, their mom became very concerned with making sure Gabi came home. Not that she didn’t understand. Every day she couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Reiner. 

When he disappeared, Amalia was gone. So was his pearl that he got before she was born. Did he leave her? Was he kidnapped? 

Gabi went back home and came back to the cove the next morning, fishing pole in hand. They were running a little low on food, and she needed to make an effort to catch some extra fish. The docks were a more popular fishing spot, but with so many people fishing there it was likely the fish may be sparse. 

A frown crossed her face. Was there something in the water? Gabi squinted and saw what looked like a blue girl with blonde hair poking the top of her head out of the water. Gabi stood when she saw the top of the head, it quickly going back under the water. “Hello?” 

No answer. Gabi cocked her head and put down her rod, wading out into the water. “Hello? Is someone out there?” 

The blonde hair poked out of the water again, followed by sandy blonde hair and black hair. Three sets of eyes were looking at her, and Gabi couldn’t help but feel anxiety at them staring at her. They blinked, then a blue hand came out of the water and waved at her. Slowly, Gabi brought a hand up and waved back at it. 

Suddenly, the blue girl popped her torso out of the water, Gabi staggering back a little in surprise. “Hey! My friend thinks you’re pretty!” Both of the other two rose up, denials coming out of both of their mouths. Gabi’s eyes went wide, her stepping back just a little. The blue girl cocked her head in confusion. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re scared of something?” 

“Sirens?!” Gabi said, fear rising up inside of her. She shook her head and started to step back, but the three kids looked to one another and then back to Gabi. “Are you going to eat me?” 

“Eat you? Why would I want to do that?” The black-haired boy said. Gabi noticed he was covered in speckles all along his backside, and it almost looked like he had wings under his arms. “Eating a human… what kinds of weird stories are you reading? Do you eat merfolk?” 

“What’s a merfolk?” Gabi asked, her body still in a defensive stance. The three kids looked confused at her, then the black-haired boy spoke up again. 

“You don’t know what a merfolk is? We’re like part-human, part-fish I guess you could say. I’m like a ray.” Gabi started letting her guard down, her stance relaxing. The three kids started to crawl out of the water, Gabi finding herself surprised by their unique bodies. “My name is Udo, and they’re Zofia and Falco.” 

“Why are you naked?” Gabi asked awkwardly, looking at the three merfolk before her. They were all naked… but none of them seemed to be making any attempt to cover up. Falco, Zofia and Udo all looked to one another, then back to Gabi. 

“Why would we wear clothes? They’d just get wet and heavy, then we couldn’t swim easily. We don’t need to dress up anyways, our bodies are colorful!” Zofia said happily, looking back at the splash of yellow on the end of her tail. “Humans wear clothes to stay warm but we don’t need to do that.” 

“Don’t you need to… you know… cover up?” Gabi asked awkwardly. But… she looked their bodies up and down. The three of them looked at her like they were thinking. 

“Cover up what?” Falco asked innocently, Gabi wanting to facepalm. Although now that she was actually looking at them, she could see that none of them seemed to have any private parts at all. What were they? Fish people? Not sirens? They acted like eating people was crazy, but all the stories said that sirens ate people? 

“Uh… don’t worry about it. What are you doing here?” The three merfolk looked to one another, then laughed. 

“Well… we aren’t supposed to come out here, but we wanted to anyways! We said we wanted to go exploring for a few days and that we’d be back. Our friends Marcel and Porco said to be really careful, and that they and Bertholdt would be around if we needed anything.” Gabi didn’t know who any of those people were, but Falco spoke as if she did anyways. “Hey, what’s your name anyways?” 

“Gabi.” Zofia chuckled at that, Gabi raising a brow. Zofia shook her head and gave Gabi a genuine look. 

“It’s nothing. Gabi is just what one of our adult friends named his sea lion.” Gabi blushed at that. What were the odds, that three fish people would come out of the water and tell her someone had a pet sea lion named Gabi? “Hey… wanna come hang out with us? You seem like a really cool person. And my friends think you’re cute.” Zofia winked at Gabi, but Udo and Falco both turned away. Gabi swallowed and felt her cheeks heating up. 

“Uh… I mean, I’d like to. But I have to catch some fish. My family needs food.” 

“Oh, we can help you with that! How many fish do you need?” Falco asked, him leaning back and laying in the sand. It was warm and comfortable. “We can catch fish no problem at all. Whenever you want to go home, we can just get you some fish to take home with you.” 

Gabi knew she should say no. She should run and tell an adult about the fish people. There had been lots of rumors about sirens, especially after Sasha died and then Reiner went missing not too long after. But still… she wanted to feel some companionship, and the three of them seemed interesting. 

“…Okay, what do you want to do?” 

  


It was nice, having new friends. They were much different than anyone else she’d ever known. They came from a faraway land called Marley, and they talked about how there humans and merfolk lived together in harmony. Some even intermarried; according to Falco, their adult friends Porco, Marcel and Bertholdt were all married to humans. The thought of marrying a merfolk, though… Gabi wasn’t sure how she felt about that. They felt so weird when she would hold onto them. Udo’s skin was much smoother than the other two, and she liking riding on him the most. 

“Lots of humans back home have gills. All our adult merfolk friend’s spouses have them. It makes swimming together a lot easier. But lots of humans don’t like the way gills look, and apparently sometimes they feel funny underneath clothes.” Falco explained to Gabi. Zofia and Udo had gone underwater hunting for fish, because they were hungry. Falco wasn’t, and Gabi had eaten earlier. 

“What do you mean they have gills? Do they just grow in? Or are they humans with merfolk parents?” Falco shook his head at Gabi’s words. 

“If a merfolk and a human have a baby together, it’s whatever species the mother is. So if you had a baby with a merman it’d be a human, but if Zofia had one with a human did it’d be a merfolk.” Falco noticed Gabi was staring at him blankly. “No, humans with gills are just human. No merfolk family.” 

“So how do you grow gills, then?” Gabi noticed that Udo, Zofia and Falco all had gills on their ribs. She couldn’t help but put her hand under her shirt and feel the smooth skin. 

“You don’t just grow them. Humans get gills whenever a merfolk decides to bless them with gills. It’s really simple. As soon as the merfolk blesses the human, the gills grow in immediately. Apparently they’re really tender at first.” 

“How does a merfolk bless a human?” Gabi asked. Falco gave her a smile. 

“Well that’s easy! If a merfolk wants to give a human their own gills, we just have to decide we want to. Then we give the human a kiss.” Falco leaned back into the sand and thought about the humans he knew. “Lots of merfolk kiss humans but never give them gills. The humans that have been blessed… their partners must care about them an awful lot.” 

“I guess that makes sense. With gills the human could go exploring underwater with their loved one.” Gabi leaned back into the sand and looked at Falco. “It… does sound pretty romantic, though. You love your human so much, you bless them with gills just to spend time together in the water…” 

“Yeah… it sounds nice. Sometimes merfolk aren’t in love, though. Bertholdt told me that when he gave Reiner gills, it was to save him from drowning.” Gabi’s eyes opened at Falco’s words, her quickly sitting up and looking down at him. He raised his brows in confusion, him meeting her eyes. “Are you okay, Gabi? What’s wrong?” 

“Did you say… someone named Reiner was given gills?” Falco blinked and nodded slowly. Gabi looked to the water and ran a hand through her hair. “What does he look like?” 

“Reiner? Uh… he’s tall, for a human. He’s blonde, and he has a beard. He used to be more muscular but he’s lost weight the past couple of years.” Falco closed his eyes and thought about Reiner. “Reiner gets sad sometimes, and when he gets sad he won’t play with us. He was sad whenever we left to come here this time.” 

“Has Reiner been there your whole life?” Gabi felt something stirring within her, but she wasn’t sure what it was. She wanted to ask so many questions so quickly, but Falco just started to look confused. 

“No… I think I was around eight when Reiner came to Marley. He was sad a lot more back then. He and Bertholdt weren’t even married then.” Gabi laid down on the sand and tried to process what Falco was saying. Extreme concern crossed Falco’s face, him propping himself up on his palms to look down at her. “Gabi? Are you okay?” 

“Reiner… my brother’s name is Reiner. He disappeared four years ago. He was tall and blonde, and he was muscular too. I… is it my brother in Marley? I just, I guess… I thought he was dead. He’s been gone for so long.” Gabi’s lip trembled and she brought her hands up to her face, wiping at her eyes. “I miss my brother.” Gabi pulled her pink pearl necklace off and looked at it in her hands. “He gave this to me. I found it the morning after he disappeared.” 

“Reiner’s sea lion is named Gabi… did he name her after you?” Falco frowned and looked at Gabi as though he were studying her. “Your eyes, they’re the same color as his. But you don’t look much like him…” Gabi sat up and pulled her knees to her face. This was too much to process. Reiner left the island? How? He named a sea lion after her? 

“Falco! I need to see him! I need to go to him!” Gabi reached out and grabbed Falco’s shoulders, squeezing them when she did. She felt her eyes welling up and then she felt the tears dripping down her face. “I miss my big brother… I want to see him. I need to see him.” 

“Uh… I don’t know? You’re too heavy for any of us to carry all the way to Marley…” Falco frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. Gabi watched the sun start to go down over the horizon. She’d need to go home soon. “Let me think. I’ll see what I can do. But you need to get home, don’t you? Let me get you some fish while you think, okay?” 

Gabi walked home with the fish that Falco got for her. Her mother gave her a look, her able to pick up on Gabi’s mixed up emotions. “Are you okay, dear? Here, let me take those fish and start washing them.” Her mother gutted the fish and began preparing them to eat. 

“Mom… I… I guess I’ve just had Reiner on my mind a lot. I miss him, I want to see him so much.” Gabi started sniffling again, her mother turning around and walking over to her. She pulled Gabi into a hug, Gabi nuzzling into her mother’s chest. Gentle hands stroked her hair, followed by a delicate kiss to her head. “I miss my brother.” 

“Oh, darling, I know. I miss Reiner too. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him.” Gabi cried and let her mom hold her. After a minute Gabi noticed her mom was crying too. Eventually she pulled away, then moved to wipe away Gabi’s tears. “I don’t know what happened to my baby, Gabi… but the important thing is that you never forget him. He loved you, from the day you were born. He pouted and said he wanted a brother, but not an hour later he was wanting to hold you.” 

“Would you leave here if Reiner were still alive?” Gabi watched her mother pull away and give her a confused look. “I mean… if Reiner is out there, would, would you go to him?” Her mother pulled away and shook her head, then wiped at her eyes. 

“Of course I would. I don’t care about anything except my babies. But since Reiner is gone, I need to take care of you, darling.” Gabi closed her eyes and felt lips press against her forehead. “I love you, Gabi. With all my heart.” Gabi watched her mother go back to cooking the fish her friends had collected for her. At least they’d be fed tonight. 

  


“I think we’ve figured something out for you, Gabi!” Gabi sat by the edge of the shore like she always did when her friends came to see her. Falco, Zofia and Udo had all climbed out of the water and were sunbathing, but Zofia was the one who broke the silence. Truthfully after all that swimming, Gabi could’ve fallen asleep in the sand. 

“Huh…?” Gabi’s eyes opened slowly, her turning her head towards Zofia. Her blue tail was slapping the sand in a rhythm. She must have a tune stuck in her head. 

“We talked to Porco and Marcel. Since they’re the fastest swimmers. If you want to leave here and go to Marley, you can gather up all your stuff and ride one of them to Marley. Your mom can ride on the other one. We can take you to Reiner.” Udo explained, Gabi’s heart starting to beat faster at the thought of seeing her brother again. She thought she was dreaming, but a crab pinched her earlier so she knew she was away. 

“Does Reiner know I’m out here?” Falco hummed and shook his head. 

“I mean, he knows you’re here because this is where you’ve always lived. But he doesn’t know that we’ve met you. He and Bertholdt would lose their minds if they knew we’ve been coming to Paradis. They say it’s too dangerous here. I wonder why?” Falco paused for a second and looked to his side at Gabi. “Did something happen to Reiner four years ago?” 

“Not that I’m aware of. I don’t remember anything happening before he disappeared.” Gabi tried to think back. He’d found lots of pearls beforehand, now that she thought about it. He had a big conch shell too that went missing. But as far as him personally, everything was fine. “Why?” 

“He just stares in the direction of Paradis sometimes. But only when he gets sad. Bertholdt tells us to let Reiner be, because he’s just remembering something upsetting and he needs alone time.” Gabi frowned. She’d never seen Reiner do anything like that. 

“No. I wonder if it has something to do with him going missing? Who does he live with?” He wasn’t kidnapped, was he? Udo spread out his arms so his fins would warm up. 

“Just his husband. And they have their sea lion. But nobody else lives there.” Reiner getting married… Gabi was surprised at that. He never seemed interested in anyone before he went missing. She wanted to be happy for him, but part of her was sad to miss something as special as her only sibling’s wedding. 

“I… I want to see my brother again. When can Marcel and Porco come and get me? They can take my mama too?” Zofia nodded her head and swished her tail back and forth in the warm sand. Part of her wanted to be buried in it. 

“We’ll need to go back home to Marley. And we’ll need to get Porco and Marcel to come get you. They’re really fast so they could get you back to Marley.” Zofia fidgeted with her fingers and stared at the sky. “It’d mean leaving everyone here behind, though.” 

“Bertholdt and Reiner are going to kill us whenever they find out we’ve been coming to Paradis…” Udo thought out loud, him starting to fidget nervously. “We’ve been lying about coming out here, and Bertholdt always told us to stay away from here. What are we going to say whenever Gabi just shows up in Marley?” 

“Uh…” Falco and Zofia both went quiet. Gabi glanced at the three of them. Why would Reiner and his husband say not to come to the island? What was Bertholdt like? Reiner married a merman? There were too many questions in her head. She wanted to scream in frustration. “Maybe Reiner will be so happy he’ll forget about us coming to Paradis?” 

“I don’t think so. Bertholdt will be the one to be upset. You know how protective he can get.” Udo fidgeted with his fingers. 

“Well, the least we can do is just get Reiner’s mom and Gabi to Marley. We’ll figure it out from there.” Falco turned back to look at Gabi. “We’ll go back to Marley in the morning. In a few days, two mermen will show up. One has brown hair, the other has reddish-blonde hair. They’ll be able to take you to Marley.” 

“And you’re sure Reiner lives in Marley now? I can see my brother again?” Gabi’s voice had a hint of desperation in it, but the assurances from her friends made her feel much better. Seeing Reiner again, it was almost like a dream come true. 

Gabi crawled into Reiner’s bed and pulled Leon close, cuddling the rag doll. Dreams of running in the sand with her brother soothed her, and for once she didn’t feel sad waking up in Reiner’s bed. 

  


Convincing her mother to leave had been beyond difficult. She didn’t even believe in merfolk, and when Gabi started packing up all her stuff it only started a fight. She’d never been shouted at so much in her life. Gabi felt especially bad when her mother would break down in tears and start sobbing over her missing son. Or when she started saying she’d already lost one baby and couldn’t bear to lose her other. 

Once all of her stuff was packed, Gabi convinced her mother to start packing up a few things as well. Her mother seemed to break down at the thought of losing both of her children. And truthfully, Gabi felt pretty bad about how her mother was feeling. She knew that she was the reason her mother was so stressed. But she knew Reiner was out there, and the pain their mother felt now would subside when she saw her son again. 

They were never wealthy. Most of their possessions were just furniture and things that helped them survive. They could be replaced easily. Gabi took her pearl jewelry that Reiner had gifted her, and of course Leon. Some gifts from her friends. Her mother grabbed a few things and hesitantly packed up a bag of sentimental items. 

“You’ll see, mama. The mermen are real, and they’re going to take us to see Reiner.” Gabi said happily, the two of them walking away from the place they’d called home for so many years. Her mother looked behind and saw the house getting smaller as they walked away. 

Gabi would be lying if she said she wouldn’t miss her friends like Kaya and Louise. But friends came and went; family was forever. 

Two shark-like mermen were chatting with one another in the cove whenever Gabi saw them, her running towards them quickly. Her mother felt terror coil up in her stomach, especially whenever Gabi just started barreling towards them. Were they sirens? Like the children’s stories? 

“Marcel! Porco!” Gabi half-shouted whenever she ran partway into the water. “You’re here! Is Reiner okay? How’s he doing?” The two mermen seemed surprised whenever Gabi ran up as quickly as she did. Her mother approached much more slowly, much more anxiously. “Which one of you is Marcel? And Porco? Sorry, hehe…” Gabi scratched behind her head. 

The brown-haired merman looked at her closely, then her mother. “You don’t look much like Reiner. You’re so small compared to him, I could just eat you up!” That didn’t make Gabi’s mother relax at all, her immediately tensing up and wanting to run away. Especially because they had those razor-sharp teeth! Perfect for eating human flesh…? “Reiner’s practically got a horn on his face compared to your nose.” The merman gave a toothy, confident smile. “I’m Marcel, he’s Porco.” 

“This is definitely Reiner’s mom. He looks just like her.” Porco turned around and gestured to his own back. “Go ahead and hop on. I want to get back home, Pieck is waiting for me. I told her Marcel and I were going out for the night, and I’d like to get back to my wife.” There was a prominent fin on their backs, but neither of the mermen seemed uncomfortable whenever the girls climbed onto their backs. 

Marcel laughed at that. “Yeah… Annie is waiting for me, too. I think they’re having a girl’s night. But I just want to go home and rest.” Marcel laughed when he felt tiny hands on his shoulders moving to hug his neck. “Hold on tight, we swim fast. You’re plenty light, at least.” 

“Mom! We’re going to see Reiner!” Her mother was too afraid to respond, because whenever the mermen started swimming they were fast and she couldn’t help but worry about falling off. This was absolutely crazy! Sirens were taking her and Gabi away, and she just willingly went along with it! Why didn’t she shut this whole thing down? 

That was how the old stories went, wasn’t it? Sirens would lure you away with sweet words before they killed you? How irresponsible a mother was she, letting sirens pull her and Gabi away with sweet promises of seeing Reiner again. 

But… they never stopped to cannibalize her and Gabi. The two of them swam for what felt like an eternity. The moon was starting to set, and the sky started to light up with soft pastels as the sun peeked out over the horizon. Finally, they made their way to a sandy shore. Porco and Marcel let the two of them off their backs, Gabi and her mother stepping off carefully. Their pants were soaking wet, and both of them felt uncomfortable. 

“We’d take you a little closer, but there’s a good spot to dry off over here and nobody is going to come up and start asking you too many questions. Take off your pants and wring them out, you’ll have some privacy.” Porco leaned back into the water and groaned. “I’m so tired… Reiner’s gonna owe me one for this.” Marcel rolled his eyes at that. 

“ _Reiner_ doesn’t owe you anything. The kids, though… _They_ owe us! To get to Reiner’s house, walk that way for a while. It’s built into the water… you know, him being married to a merman and all. There’s a garden nearby in the grassy area. Oh, and don’t be afraid of Gabi.” Gabi cocked a brow at that, Marcel laughing. “His pet, Gabi. She’s just… loud. She won’t hurt you. I promise. Reiner’s got her spoiled rotten.” 

“Thank you, Porco. Marcel.” The two mermen waved, then swam away to god know where. Gabi looked at her mother and smiled. The two of them wrung out their pants and put them back on. But then the gravity of their situation started to sink in. They were on a strange island with no friends, no money, no food, no water. “Gabi… will you please go see if you can find Reiner? I… I’m so nervous, my whole body is starting to ache. I need to rest.” She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. “What are we going to do, Gabi?” 

“I’m going to go find Reiner! Just stay here, mama. I’ll be back, with him. It’ll be okay.” Gabi’s mother reached out and grabbed her arm when she turned around and started to walk away. Gabi turned around in surprise. 

“Please come back, Gabi. If I lost you too, I don’t know what I would do.” Gabi nodded confidently and started walking. 

It was a long walk. And she couldn’t help but wonder where all the merfolk were supposed to live? She saw some humans going about their business every now and then. She watched in amazement when she noticed some merfolk playing with one another out in the water. At one point she passed a young human and a young merfolk building a sandcastle together. Something like that was unthinkable back home. 

Reiner must live pretty far out… eventually she saw a house in the distance. And, just like she’d been told, part of it went into the water and was submerged. That must make it easy for Reiner and a merman to live there, she supposed. There was a big brown thing in front of the house. At first Gabi thought it to be a rock, but when she got closer she saw that it was light brown and had flippers. 

Gabi got close enough to the house for the sea lion to open its eyes. It yawned and then started moving towards her. Gabi smiled awkwardly at the creature and froze, finding herself almost afraid of it. “Uh… nice sea lion?” 

The sea lion started barking, much to Gabi’s surprise. It started moving in circles around her, but when Gabi tried to move away it followed her. The barking was beyond annoying. After a moment Gabi started to hear thudding coming from inside the house, the heavy footsteps approaching quickly. 

“Damn it, Gabi! I just fed you, what do you…” Gabi stared in astonishment at the familiar face in front of her. Well, mostly familiar. Reiner had lost weight, and he’d grown a beard. He definitely looked older; he wasn’t a teenager anymore but a young man. But it was still unmistakably Reiner. His eyes were wide, him looking beyond shocked and confused. “Gabi…?” 

“Hi, Reiner…” Gabi swallowed awkwardly. For so long she imagined what she’d want to say to Reiner if she ever saw him again, but now that he was standing right in front of her not a single one came to mind. “I, um…” 

She didn’t even have time to think before she found herself dazed for just a moment. She realized Reiner had run straight over to her and grabbed her, him pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. “Gabi? Is it really you?” Reiner’s voice was shaky, him starting to breathe heavily. He pulled away and started stroking her hair, him moving to tuck a little bit of it behind her ear. “My Gabi?” 

“Yeah…” Gabi closed her eyes and clung to him. “I missed you, Reiner. I thought I would never see you again.” Reiner started shushing her, him picking her up princess-style and carrying her into the house. Reiner’s pet Gabi yawned and went back to laying in front of his home. 

“Oh, my Gabi, my sweet little Gabi…” Gabi let Reiner hold her and nuzzle her. She noticed he was crying, but it was okay because she was too. Reiner started kissing her cheeks like he used to when she was younger. “You’re here? How is it possible?” 

“I’ll explain later, Reiner. I just want a hug.” Reiner nodded and held her closer again. “I love you, Reiner.” 

“I love you too, Gabi. I always have. I’ve thought about you every single day.” Reiner shook his head and sniffled, then gave his sister a smile. “I named my girl out there Gabi because I missed you. I have Amalia over there, and that hat you made me when you were five… Not a day has gone by where I haven’t thought about you.” 

“Reiner, you didn’t leave because of me, did you? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?” Gabi asked nervously. Reiner’s eyes went wide, him immediately shaking his head. 

“No! Of course not! I'll... well, explain what happened later. But leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. There were so many nights I wanted my little buddy snuggling me like when we were kids…” Reiner showered her with kisses again. “So much has happened since the last time I saw you. You’ve gotten so big, and you’ve grown up to be so beautiful. I knew you would.” 

“I heard you got married…” Gabi mumbled against his chest. She didn’t realize how tired she was, but she didn’t sleep the night before. She spent all night clinging to a merman, then walked all the way to Reiner’s house. And he was so warm and comforting. 

Reiner chuckled and nodded, then stroked her hair again. “Yes. I’m married now. His name is Bertholdt. He’s amazing. You’ll love him” He noticed his sister starting to drift off. She looked completely tuckered out. Reiner smiled and stood, carrying her to his bedroom. He pulled back the covers on his bed and tucked her in. She blinked tiredly at him. 

“Mama is here too… she’s waiting on the coast, she was too tired to come here…” Reiner nodded quickly and stood up. “I came from the west… mama is waiting for me.” 

“I’ll go get mama, okay? You look tired. Just rest, my Gabi. I love you. I’ll be right back.” Gabi nodded tiredly. She felt something heavy get into bed after Reiner left, her opening her eyes and looking at the other Gabi. She barked once, then closed her eyes and yawned. 

Gabi shrugged her shoulders and leaned into the sea lion, her fur warm and comforting. 

  


Reiner’s eyebrows raised in surprise whenever Gabi lifted up her shirt and her undershirt rode up with it, him seeing gills on her ribcage. He started chuckling and glanced over to Bertholdt, who saw them as well. Bertholdt swam over to the edge of the pool in his home that connected to the ocean. 

“Who was it?” Bertholdt asked bluntly, Gabi glancing to the side and blushing at Bertholdt. He gave her a knowing smile, while Reiner floated next to his husband and watched with an amused expression. Their mother sat on the edge, kicking her feet back and forth in the water. “I saw your gills there. Who was it?” 

“Nobody!” Gabi’s denial came quickly, which only made Bertholdt and Reiner grin at her even more. Reiner smiled and shook his head, then gestured for her to come into the water with them. 

“Was it Udo? Or Falco? Maybe Zofia?” Reiner watched Gabi cross her arms and look away, her chewing on her lower lip. Ah, it was definitely one of the three. He wasn’t going to push it, though. She’d tell them when she was ready. “My little Gabi has a crush. Or is she in love?” 

“Shut up, Reiner!” Gabi said, crossing her arms. Her mother looked at her and smiled, then went back to kicking her feet. 

“It’s okay, Gabi. I fell in love with a merfolk too. Best thing to ever happen to me.” Bertholdt smiled at his husband’s words and moved to kiss his cheek. Reiner giggled and blushed, then Bertholdt pulled him into a hug from behind. 

“Do you need help getting used to your gills, Gabi? I can help you. Or Reiner can.” Gabi frowned, her feeling odd whenever she swam through the water. The water passing through her new gills made her shiver. 

“No, I was going to go out with… uh, someone! They’re going to help me.” Reiner smiled. Gabi was being secretive about her love life, it would seem. Not that he could fault her at all; he’d hidden Bertholdt too. 

After Gabi and his mother went to sleep, Reiner laid down in his bed. It was very low to the ground, next to the pool of water that Bertholdt slept in. He pulled Bertholdt close to him, Bertholdt not quite ready to retire to the water just yet. Reiner nuzzled into Bertholdt’s shoulder and felt scaled hands roaming along his body. 

“I think Falco, Udo and Zofia are starting to be less afraid to come around.” The three of them had been terrified after Bertholdt and Reiner exploded on them for sneaking off to Paradis. Of course it led to Reiner getting his mom and sister back… but they still put themselves in great danger and needed to understand that. “They seem to understand we were just worried about them.” 

“Yeah. Whichever one that seems the most afraid is probably the one my sister has a crush on.” Reiner smiled to himself at that. “I’m so happy they’re here. I always look forward to waking up now. I have my family.” Reiner ran a finger along Bertholdt’s chest. “And the love of my life.” 

“I love you too, Reiner.” Bertholdt closed his eyes and let Reiner nuzzle him. He opened his eyes when he felt a wet kiss on his jawline. “What are you scheming?” 

“Oh, you know. Just things you do with people you love.” Bertholdt raised a brow at his husband, Reiner giving him a smirk in return. Bertholdt grinned like an idiot whenever Reiner moved to straddle him and tossed off his shirt. 

That was just fine with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who did Gabi kiss? That's up to you to decide!
> 
> And that's a wrap! I missed getting it done in May by a few days but this wound up so much longer than I planned! I wanted it to be a oneshot but it turned into a behemoth, that's for sure. I think it's a tiny bit longer than The Neopets Connection...
> 
> If you enjoyed my fic, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really mean that, it makes me happy knowing that people enjoy my fic. ;~;
> 
> Follow me on twitter and talk reibert and SnK to me!  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/empresscactuar)  
> 


	8. Art!

  


This was the first bit of art I got by [LostOpium](https://twitter.com/LostOpium) as a gift ^^ 

  


Gift from [LostOpium](https://twitter.com/LostOpium) <3 

  


Commission from [LostOpium](https://twitter.com/LostOpium) for Bertl eating the crab ^^ 

  


Gabi and her oyster that I commissioned from [LostOpium](https://twitter.com/LostOpium)

  


Gabi giving Amalia to Reiner by [LostOpium](https://twitter.com/LostOpium)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've thought about writing a couple of bonus one-shots (Gabi meeting Bertl? More Gabi and Reiner fluff?) but I have other stuff to work on. ^^

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping to get this fic finished by the end of the month! Thanks for reading! <3  
> (tagged underage because they're all their canon ages, except maybe Gabi who isn't involved in any of that anyways)


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